What is Intervision and why has Russia brought the contest back now?

This weekend sees the revival of the Intervision song contest in Moscow.

The contest is a Soviet-era creation being brought back under the direct orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On the surface, it looks like a Eurovision-style showcase, but the political intent behind the project is unmistakable.

The history of Intervision

Intervision began life in the 1960s as the Eastern Bloc’s counterpart to Eurovision.

Organised by the International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT), it provided Soviet-aligned states with their own international song platform.

The contest was first hosted between 1965 and 1968 in Czechoslovakia.

It was revived in 1977 and held in Sopot, Poland. These contests were the most formal and structured, replacing the older Sopot International Song Festival.

Finland, though neutral during the Cold War, played a unique role: its public broadcaster, Yleisradio (YLE), was a member of both the OIRT/Intervision and the EBU/Eurovision networks.

That meant Finnish artists or broadcasts sometimes bridged East and West. Marion Rung, a Finnish singer, won the final official Intervision contest in 1980 with Hyvästi yö.

Why is it being brought back now?

Russia was suspended and then expelled from the EBU in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine, cutting the country off from Eurovision entirely.

Intervision has been resurrected as a direct response, framed by Putin as a celebration of “traditional, spiritual and family values.”

Those values come with restrictions: entries are barred from including political themes, “perversions” (a thinly veiled reference to LGBT+ content), or anything seen as undermining the Kremlin’s conservative worldview.

In addition, it is a visible way for Russia to shore up a bloc of friendly nations and showcase that to the Western world.

Criticism of Intervision

The contest has been criticised by many. Ukraine has condemned the project outright.

The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Intervision as “an instrument of hostile propaganda and a means of whitewashing the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation.”

Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation also warned that “the Kremlin will attempt to exploit the contest for propaganda purposes, using participation to demonstrate that Russia is not isolated.”

How it differs from Eurovision

Unlike Eurovision’s mix of jury and public voting, Intervision will rely on professional juries, removing any element of international televoting.

There will also be a cash prize of 30 million rubles (just under $550,000 Australian dollars).

Participation is drawn not from EBU members but from countries aligned with or friendly to Russia, including parts of the BRICS bloc, Central Asia, and Latin America.

The Australian connection: Vassy for the USA

Among the controversy of Intervision is an Australian.

The United States will be represented by Darwin-born artist Vassy (Vasiliki Karagiorgos) after the original U.S. act withdrew.

Vassy has built her career across dance-pop and EDM, touring and collaborating internationally.

She has shown interest in Eurovision previously, entering a song in the Greek national final of 2025.

A propaganda platform

The relaunch of Intervision is not simply about music. It is widely seen by critics as a soft-power move, intended to project legitimacy and counter Russia’s growing international isolation.

Critics have clearly stated that 'Intervision is not about art, but about politics and propaganda.'

It is a reminder of how music can be used as a tool in political theatre.

The countries competing are

• Belarus

• Brazil

• China

• Colombia

• Cuba

• Egypt

• Ethiopia

• India

• Kazakhstan

• Kenya

• Kyrgyzstan

• Madagascar

• Qatar

• Russia

• Saudi Arabia

• Serbia

• South Africa

• Tajikistan

• United Arab Emirates

• United States

• Uzbekistan

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

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