Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a revival of the Soviet answer to the Eurovision Song Contest in an effort to counter what he says is the decadence of modern Western culture. Putin signed a decree on Monday for the Intervision Song Contest to be held in Moscow this year,

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.

Eurovision move out of the way, because Vladimir Putin is set to stage his very own anti-Western international song contest. The rival event – called Intervision – previously ran in Russia between 1965 and 1968 and then later between 1977 and 1980 but was a flop.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to establish an international song contest in Russia to compete with the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). Russia was excluded from the much-watched Eurovision contest following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.