Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to create an international song competition in Russia as a rival to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). Russia

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Monday establishing a Russian version of the Eurovision Song Contest, after the country was excluded from the continental competition nearly three years ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a revival of the Soviet-era alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest, Intervision, which he claimed will counter the decadence of modern Western culture. Mr Putin signed the decree on Monday, ordering the Intervision Song Contest be held in Moscow this year.

Russia took part in Eurovision 23 times from 1994 but as ties with the West steadily soured it began to consider reviving the Soviet-era Intervision, especially after Conchita Wur

The revived contest, planned to take place in Moscow later this year, is Russia's way of directly challenging Eurovision while promoting "traditional values." View on euronews

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Feb. 3 ordering the revival of the Intervision song contest, the Soviet Union's equivalent to Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest banned Russia from participation in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to RIA, the Russian news agency, after being excluded from Eurovision, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, has decided to revive Intervision, a musical competition from the Soviet era. The goal is to promote Russian culture and unite countries sympathetic to Russia.