VLADIMIR Putin has announced his own version of the Eurovision song contest despite Russia’s similar Soviet attempts being a huge flop.
The harsh ruler is preparing to participate in a well-known international competition by organizing a version that opposes the West, after his country was removed due to his violent attack on Ukraine.
Putin issued a decree on Monday to set up a Moscow-led song contest called Intervision, which will be hosted in Russia’s capital.
More than 25 of his ally countries are set to join his contest – including North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Mad Vlad has already said his bizarre idea has been backed by his “Chinese friends”.
This sad attempt at recreating Eurovision will reportedly ban LGBT performers.
In Russia, rules now ban anything deemed to promote homosexuality, and the international LGBTQ movement is seen as an extremist organisation.
Putin’s move has been seen as an attempt to revive two similar flopped music contests from the Soviet era.
Communist Russia tried to set up a competition also called Intervision in the 1960s.
This was also aimed to bring together its allies in Eastern Europe and across the world, like Cuba.
Intervision ran between 1965 and 1968, and later between 1977 and 1980.
It is unknown if the competition will incorporate its unusual communist-era voting method where viewers would use their lights to vote, and the results would be determined by electricity usage.
The 2025 version of the competition will reportedly showcase “traditional universal, spiritual and family values”.
This would be a sharp contrast to the flamboyance, art, and colour brought through Eurovision – like it’s 2024 winner Nemo from Switzerland.
Reports suggest that Putin aims to revive the competition to distance Russia from the Western world’s disregard for religious beliefs and ethical principles.
A Russian planning document said: “Artists may not perform songs that call for violence, humiliate the honour and dignity of society, and it is required that political themes in the lyrics are completely excluded.”
Intervision will also aim to be “developing international cultural and humanitarian cooperation”, according to his presidential decree.
This decree also claimed “the contest will be open for participation of all countries that wish to do so”.
Intervision is reportedly set to give performers four minutes on stage to sing in whatever language they like, according to documents seen by Reuters.
The winner will get prize money and go on tour.
It is not known if Putin will seek to sing at the contest, as he famously did in 2010, performing Blueberry Hill at a live charity event in St Petersburg.
The dictator’s rendition went viral, as he sang in front of guests including Hollywood stars like Goldie Hawn, Kevin Costner, and Sharon Stone.
Putin previously announced he wanted to stage the World Festival of Friendship in 2024 as an alternative to the Olympics – which Russia has also been excluded from.
The tyrant postponed the competition by one year – and then indefinitely in a humiliating U-turn.
The country has taken part in Eurovision 23 times since 1994.
Russia was banned from Eurovision in 2022 after Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
The same year that Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine, an Austrian drag queen popularly known as “the bearded lady,” won Eurovision in 2014.
This is thought to have been a turning point in Putin’s desire to fully separate his country from Western values.
