Putin looks to be starting a new singing competition this year with a series of 'friendly' Russian allies in response to the on-going Eurovision ban due to his invasion of Ukraine

The revived contest, planned to take place in Moscow later this year, is Russia's way of directly challenging Eurovision while promoting "traditional values." View on euronews

Russian president to reboot Soviet Union’s defunct Intervision song contest - but no sequins or camp kitsch allowed

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to create an international song competition in Russia as a rival to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a revival of the Soviet-era alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest, Intervision, which he claimed will counter the decadence of modern Western culture. Mr Putin signed the decree on Monday, ordering the Intervision Song Contest be held in Moscow this year.

Russia's love affair with Eurovision reached a peak in 2008, when the singer Dima Bilan was crowned the winner of the competition.

Eurovision move out of the way, because Vladimir Putin is set to stage his very own anti-Western international song contest. The rival event – called Intervision – previously ran in Russia between 1965 and 1968 and then later between 1977 and 1980 but was a flop.