INTERVISION RUSSIA’25 A PATH TO MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

PARTICIPATION MATTERS MOST

The “no more bearded divas” Inter national Music Contest, as described by Elena Drapeko, Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Culture, took place on 20 September at Live Arena in the Moscow region. The event brought together participants from 23 nations, with each presenting a conceptual 2–3-minute performance blending cultural traditions with modern trends.

Alongside Russia, the event fea tured Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, China, Egypt, the USA, Kenya, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Brazil, Tajikistan, Qatar, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Serbia, South Africa, Vietnam, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and India.

The internationaljury, which in cluded music experts from all participating nations, decided the winner. The grand prize—a crystal trophy and 30 million roubles—was awarded to Duc Phuc from Vietnam, who scored 422 points. Second place went to the trio NOMAD from Kyrgyzstan with 373 points, and Dana Al Meer from Qatar closed the top three.

Many participants agreed that while deciding winners is a core function of any music contest, “Intervision” demonstrated that mutual understanding and an atmosphere of trust are of far greater significance in events of such scale.

Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League and member of the Russian Civic Chamber, made a good point: “Today’s contest show cased many strong, vibrant performers—who sang from the heart, without resorting to cheap tricks and show-off. We witnessed an incredibly beautiful show, a breathtaking broadcast, a celebration of global traditions in all their cultural diversity. Russia has set an ex ceptionally high standard.”

A MATTER OF NATIONAL PRIORITY

On 3 February 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to hold the “Intervision” contest in Moscow and the Moscow region. Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russia’s Dep uty Prime Minister, was appointed Chairman of the Organising Commit tee, and Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, became head of the Supervisory Board.

As the contest rules read the event aims to: showcase the unique cultural traditions and achievements of participating nations; provide a platform for showcasing creative talent globally; promote universal, spiritual, family, cultural, ethical, and religious traditions of nations; strengthen cultural and friendly ties between countries; foster a dialogue between cultures, and popularise national musical traditions worldwide.

The Russian government allocated a special subsidy to the “Traditions of Art” Foundation to prepare and host the event, thus defining its overarching direction—strengthening international bonds, respecting national identity, and upholding traditional, universal, and family values as principles that resonate with every straight-thinking person across the globe.

Even prior to the project’s launch, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the revival of “Intervision” as an excellent initiative, noting a strong demand from nations for such a contest. “If we take the global context, interpersonal communication is in great demand, more than ever. There are attempts to split us and to build new walls to separate us. Visa regula tions are introduced to prevent people from visiting Western countries. With these headwinds in mind, interperson al communication will consolidate the positive and natural trends in evolution of humanity, which, in the grand scheme of things, wants to live a peace ful and prosperous life, and have the opportunity to communicate and to get familiar with other cultures,” the minis ter emphasised.

Many participants agreed that while deciding winners is a core function of any music contest, “Intervision” demonstrated that mutual understanding and an atmosphere of trust are of far greater significance in events of such scale, and the whole event serves as a testament to that.

A FORMIDABLE COUNTERWEIGHT

It is important to note that “Intervision” is not a new music contest, but a format revived. Its origins trace back to the second half of the 20th century, closely linked to the International Ra dio and Television Organisation (OIRT). Conceived as a platform for cultural exchange, the contest initially involved socialist nations and was designed as an alternative to the “Western” Eurovision. However, it was suspended in 1981 due to political turmoil and martial law in Poland. A brief revival in 1983, with events held across seven cities, including Moscow, marked its finale before it ceased altogether.

The impetus for reviving “Inter vision” was not Russia’s exclusion from the more popular Eurovision, as it might seem at first, but rather the ethical discredit of the latter. The “Eu ropean song” contest, as it once was, has for many years been influenced by dubious cultural trends—a view shared by many Russian and interna tional experts.

Cultural expert Barbara Barreiro León described “Intervision” as a “cultural counterweight” to the West, noting that it emerged in response to Eurovision, which today is associated more with liberal values and flamboy ant showmanship over substantive content.

Shortly before the contest, Fred Weir, a special correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, suggest ed that Russia is using “Intervision” as a tool to safeguard cultural inde pendence and shape a multipolar world. Historically, it was designed to strengthen ties between nations, but today it serves as an alternative to Western-imposed projects. “The Cold War-era mantra of such events was ‘peace and friendship,’ while today’s message is more about shared—and vaguely nonliberal—values in a diverse world,” Weir stated.

CURIOSITIES, DISCOVERIES, “GENEROUS RUSSIAN SOUL”

On 1 August 2025, fifty days before the “Intervision” final, an installation of a globe model adorned with the flags of participating nations was un veiled at Manezhnaya Square in Moscow. That same day, ticket sales of ficially began. On 20 September, the contest was broadcast live by Chan nel One and VK Video, with interna tional broadcasters airing it in their respective countries.

The contest was open to solo art ists and musical groups of up to six members. From the outset, participants knew the jury was looking for ward to performances rooted in the folklore and ethnicidentity of their home cultures. The international hosts were Indian actress and model Stefy Patel and Chinese-English TV presenter Meng Lei. Representing Russia were Merited Artist of Russia and opera singer Aida Garifullina, along with musician Alexey Vorobyov. The contest’s ambassadors included Dima Bilan, Klava Koka, Pelageya, the folk group Ay Yola, and hockey star Alexander Ovechkin.

Russia’s entry was Yaroslav Dronov, better known as Shaman. He de livered a stunning performance of “Pryamo Po Serdtsu” (Straight to the Heart) and then made a surprising re quest of the jury—not to judge his act. He explained his gesture by invoking the laws of hospitality, stating that the host nation should not contend for victory. The singer noted that Russia had already won by bringing all participants together as guests.

One of the most dramatic moments unfolded around American per former Vassy (Vasiliki Karagiorgos), who was set to represent the United States. Just before taking the stage, she received a formal note from the Australian government, which exert ed unprecedented political pressure, ultimately leading to the cancellation of her performance.

The contest organisers assured that despite this incident, the United States remained a full participant in “Intervision,” represented on the in ternational jury by Joe Lynn Turner, vocalist for Deep Purple.

The event was marked by exceptional organisation, featuring augmented reality technology and vibrant special effects. That said, the contest was not without organisational quirks and unexpected twists—last-minute replacements, glitches, and other unforeseen circumstances. But all in all, “Intervision” left a posi tive impression and showed huge po tential for growth.

Russian music producer Sergey Dvortsov praised the event’s out comes, acknowledging the challeng es faced by its organisers: “This con test proved that Russia and its friends are ready to shape their own cultural agenda. ‘Intervision’ was not only a vibrant musical event but also a platform showcasing the diversity of cultures, traditional values, and new formats—serving as a symbol of an alternative to Western influence.”

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

The successful revival of “Intervision” might have been incomplete without one crucial development—right after the musical programme concluded, it was announced that Saudi Arabia would take up the baton, with its representatives pledging to host the contest in 2026 at a high level.

Of course, it is too early to say for sure how enduring this format will prove to be, or whether it will enjoy popularity among a significantly larger number of nations. However, well-founded opinions on the matter are already being voiced.

For instance, Sergey Mironov, a deputy of the Russian State Duma, stated that the international “Intervision” song contest could eventually eclipse “Eurovision,” as it has greater potential for growth.

In turn, composer and producer Igor Matvienko shared his thoughts on who might represent Russia at the next “Intervision.” In his understanding, the ideal candidates would be performers who not only sing well but can also express the country’s cultural identity through music. Among possible participants, he mentioned young performers who have ethnic motifs in their work. Folk groups like Ay Yola and Otyken, in his view, fit the format perfectly.

How events will unfold remains to be seen. For now, there is every rea son to applaud Russia and its initia tives. It is clear that they strengthen friendship between nations, and con sequently, between people.