The Intervision Song Contest is an international music organization that was first organized between 1977-1980 under the leadership of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and featured participation particularly from Eastern Bloc countries. The competition, held in the city of Sopot in Poland, is essentially a continuation of the Sopot International Song Festival that had been ongoing since 1961.
The birth of Intervision was not merely a cultural event but a product of an era when culture was used as a political tool under Cold War conditions. In an environment where Eurovision reinforced Western Europe’s cultural power, Intervision aimed to represent the socialist world’s alternative. In this context, while the competition’s format, song presentation, and evaluation methods imitated Eurovision, they displayed a completely different orientation in terms of ideological stance.
The ideological framework of the competition was shaped as part of the Soviets’ cultural hegemony strategy. The Intervision stage became a platform where not only music but also socialist values were staged. Indeed, the themes of songs participating in the competition frequently emphasized collectivism, populism, and working-class values. This situation shows that the competition functioned not only as an entertainment program but also as a cultural propaganda tool.
This competition ended as of 1980. The rise of the “Solidarity Movement” in Poland shook the USSR’s regional control and weakened the sustainability of centralized cultural projects like Intervision. Therefore, Intervision remained historically as a product of a specific period and ideological struggle, becoming largely erased from cultural memory over the years. However, this situation has been changing in recent years, and Intervision is being brought back to the international agenda.
In 2025, the competition is planned to be reorganized again through the direct initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to information from February 2025, it has been decided that the competition will be held in Moscow on September 20, and this organization is interpreted as a cultural countermove during a period when Russia has been excluded from Eurovision.[1] Russia particularly characterizes Eurovision, which provides a stage for LGBT+ artists, as a symbol of moral decay and presents Intervision as an alternative to this order. This new Intervision will not allow the participation of LGBT+ individuals and will emphasize “traditional values”.[2] This situation also reveals that the competition will take not only an artistic but also a directly ideological stance.
As announced by Belarus’s official news agency BelTA, Belarus has also declared that it will participate in the 2025 Intervision and has determined its own representative.[3] The expectation that the number of countries participating in the competition will exceed 25 shows that the organization will not be limited only to the former Soviet geography but may also receive support from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.[4] Particularly the interest of BRICS countries increases the potential for Intervision to transform into a geopolitical tool.
The fact that the artist who will represent Russia in the competition is Shaman, a pop singer known for his pro-war rhetoric, has strengthened interpretations that Intervision carries political messages in reality, even though it is defined as “apolitical” in its official discourse. While Shaman’s pieces such as “Ya Russky (I am Russian)” and “Moi Boy (My Battle)” present a musical language that glorifies Russian identity and state policy during wartime, it can be said that this representation contains not only artistic but also ideological dimensions.[5] Putin’s personal appointment of high-level figures from the Kremlin to the competition’s organizing committee is also thought-provoking in this context.
Although there are structural similarities between Eurovision and Intervision, the contextual and political differences are extremely pronounced. Eurovision has become a platform where artistic freedom is at the forefront, participated in by member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and has supported cultural diversity particularly since the 1990s. Eurovision, where LGBT+ representation is intense, is often evaluated as a reflection of Western Europe’s social values. In contrast, Intervision draws a structure where cultural conservatism, traditional family structure, and an art understanding close to political power are dominant. Therefore, the two competitions are diametrically opposed not only in terms of their formats but also in terms of the value systems they represent.
The 2025 version of Intervision is not limited only to former Soviet countries; it is becoming a center of attraction for countries that embrace anti-Western cultural discourse. This situation shows that culture has become not only a soft power element but also part of geopolitical polarization. Indeed, Russia’s conducting this project directly with Kremlin-supported media networks reveals that the cultural event will also be used as a strategic communication tool.
The potential effects of Intervision for the future can be evaluated at both regional and global levels. First is Russia’s effort to reposition itself in the global cultural competition arena. Through Intervision, an attempt is being made to construct an alternative value system against the West’s cultural representation power. Second is that this competition aims to create a stronger cultural bond among countries that are Russia’s allies. In this context, Intervision should be considered not only as a music competition but also as a cultural alliance project.
However, whether this effort will be successful depends on many variables. If the competition gives too much space to political propaganda, restricts artistic diversity, or fails to ensure equal representation among participating countries, it will become difficult to gain legitimacy among broad masses. Additionally, in the global media order dominated by Western media and digital platforms, the visibility of alternative projects like Intervision may also remain limited. This may lead to the competition facing the risk of producing only inward-looking discourse.
In summary, the revival of Intervision demonstrates the increasing importance of culture in contemporary international relations. This competition has the potential to create a new geocultural axis not only through music but also through the values it represents and the countries it targets. However, for this potential to translate into concrete results, the competition needs to be structured not only as a political tool but also as a universal cultural expression space. Otherwise, Intervision will remain only as historical nostalgia or a symbol of geopolitical opposition.
[1] Theo Farrant, “Russia to relaunch Soviet-era Eurovision Song Contest rival in Moscow under Putin’s orders”, Euronews, https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/02/05/russia-to-relaunch-soviet-era-eurovision-song-contest-rival-in-moscow-under-putins-orders, (Date Accessed: 20.05.2025).
[2] Ibid.
[3] “Belarus reveals its entry for Intervision Song Contest 2025”, Belta, https://eng.belta.by/society/view/belarus-reveals-its-entry-for-intervision-song-contest-2025-168124-2025/ (Date Accessed: 20.05.2025).
[4] “More Than 25 Countries Interested in Participating in Intervision 2025, Eurovix”, https://eurovoix-world.com/2024/12/27/more-than-25-countries-interested-in-participating-in-intervision-2025/, (Date Accessed: 20.05.2025).
[5] “Pro-War Pop Icon Shaman to Represent Russia at Upcoming Eurovision Copycat“, The Moscow Times, https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/05/19/pro-war-pop-icon-shaman-to-represent-russia-at-upcoming-eurovision-copycat-a89124, (Date Accessed: 20.05.2025).
