Cut the camp, drop the pop: Eurovision Russian-style offers 'spiritual traditions'

Russia is gearing up to revive its Soviet-era alternative to Eurovision - the Intervision song contest - which begins in Moscow today, with performers from 23, mostly allied, countries taking to the stage.

- Pjotr Sauer

But sequinned bodysuits, camp theatrics and Europop bangers will be in short supply. Instead, the Kremlin's version of the spectacle promises "traditional values", patriotic ballads and a Russian entry led by a fiercely pro-war singer, as Moscow attempts to refashion Europe's glitter-soaked pageant in its own image.

Russia was banned from Eurovision in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Three years on, the president, Vladimir Putin, has signed a decree to revive Intervision, clearing the way for its first screening since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Participants will include members of the Brics bloc - China, India, Brazil and South Africa - as well as post-Soviet allies such as Belarus and several states in central Asia.

The show will be hosted by the Chinese showman Lay (real name Meng Lei) and the Indian actor Stefy Patel, billed as the contest's "international pair" of presenters.