Moscow: Russia has breathed new life into the once-defunct 'Intervision' international song contest, a Cold War-era initiative originally intended as the socialist bloc's counterpart to Eurovision. The 2025 rebirth of the contest in Moscow saw Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc emerge victorious.
According to Anadolu Agency, Intervision initially ran from 1965 to 1968 in Czechoslovakia before being relaunched in 1977 in Sopot, Poland, under the guidance of the International Radio and Television Organization (OIRT). However, the contest was discontinued in 1980 due to political unrest in Poland, dwindling popularity, and the growing influence of Western pop culture. The dissolution of the Soviet Union subsequently erased the project from cultural awareness.
Efforts to revive Intervision were made by Russian broadcasters in the 2000s, including the 2008 'Five Stars: Intervision' festival in Sochi, but these attempts failed to establish a lasting format. The recent revival follows Russia's exclusion from Eurovision in 2022 due to the onset of the Ukraine war. In January 2025, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree making Intervision a state-supported permanent alternative to Eurovision.
The debut edition in Moscow featured 23 delegations, with Duc Phuc winning with his performance of Phu Dong Thien Vuong, earning 422 points and a prize of 30 million rubles (approximately $360,000). The Kyrgyz trio NOMAD and Qatar's Dana Al-Mir claimed second and third places, respectively. Russia's own contestant, Yaroslav Dronov, known as Shaman, performed but opted not to be ranked, stating it would be 'unfair' for the host nation to claim victory.
The contest was not without controversy, as US-born singer Vassy was excluded due to 'pressure' from Australian authorities regarding her dual citizenship. Canberra denied any involvement, while Vassy expressed her shock over the exclusion.
The event concluded with performances by Russian stars Dima Bilan and Polina Gagarina, culminating in a multilingual rendition of A Million Voices by all participating delegations. President Putin addressed attendees through a video message, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was present, announcing Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2026 edition.