September 16, 2025

Intervision: Russia's Eurovision


Intervision: Russia's Eurovision
Russian Singer Shaman | Okras Wikimedia commons

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European singing competition Eurovision announced that Russia would no longer be permitted to compete.

This year, Russia opted to revive Intervision, a Soviet-era singing competition that functions in the same way, with participating countries selecting a representative musician to compete before a panel of judges. Intervision will take place on September 20, and will be aired on Russia’s Channel One.

Intervision’s conception in the 1960s is key to its marketing. The contest was invented in Czechoslovakia, though this fact is not promoted. And it was initially conceived as a tool for soft diplomacy. Intervision’s website notes this bit of history, calling the show “a cultural bridge between East and West.” Despite this, participating countries are largely Eastern, and neutral to or supportive of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s representative will be Shaman, an artist whose popularity has been bolstered by support from the Kremlin. Shaman rose to stardom with songs like “Ya Russki,” (“I am Russian”) a patriotic anthem declaring Russian pride in the face of an ambiguous global enemy.  The song includes lines like, “I’m Russian. I’ll fight to the end,” and, “I’m Russian to spite the whole world.”

One dark horse in the list of participants is the US, to be represented by Brandon Howard, stage name B Howard, an artist most notable for the rumors surrounding his paternity. Speculation has it that he is the son of pop legend Michael Jackson, due to his resemblance to this singer and the connections of those close to him. None of the claims have been substantiated.

Intervision’s Instagram page currently has just over 6,000 followers, as compared to Eurovision’s 2.2 million. With an odd mix of participants, and its confused message on diplomacy, it is unclear if the contest will pop or burn.

You Might Also Like

Where Is Polina Gagarina?
  • October 04, 2023

Where Is Polina Gagarina?

A pro-war concert promised great stars on the stage, but instead had only ultranationalist poets.
Not-Russia Does Great Figure Skating
  • April 25, 2021

Not-Russia Does Great Figure Skating

The non-doping "Russia" won three out of four events at the recent world figure skating championships and swept the ladies' podium.
Pop Star Politics
  • September 23, 2020

Pop Star Politics

“Just know that you don’t give away your loved one… Belarusians, we are a force.” – a group of Belarusian and Russian pop singers, singing in a patriotic music video to support President Lukashenko
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955