‘Hello, 2021!’ and Italian TV (more or less) is again the protagonist in Russia. Like last year, the Vechernyj Urgant broadcast conducted by Ivan Urgant – who returns to transform himself into the conductor Giovanni Urgant – with a special episode greets the new year by giving a show that seems to be the synthesis of 70s and 70s Italian TV and music. 80. Fictional characters and titles follow each other for an abundant hour. Judging by the tweets, the ‘hit’ “The boy with the station wagon” is particularly successful with which the Bionda Morta group earns a virtual standing ovation: “Bionda Morta immediately in Sanremo with The boy with the station wagon”, is the appeal that flies from one tweet to another.
In the program, there is space for the cameo of Ricchi e Poveri, of Fedez and Al Bano. The show ends with the president’s traditional message. It is not Sergio Mattarella who is speaking, however. Vladimir Putin is addressing the “highly esteemed Italian citizens”, who, with the help of technology and the virtual world, expresses himself in an almost flawless Italian. “Dear friends, the year 2021 is going away,” says Putin, while the Colosseum is in the background. “It was a year that was anything but easy, the difficulties we encountered made us even more united and compact. We have a very large, beautiful country. If we want to do something we will do it and we will do it, let’s get up our glasses together. I wish you a happy year 2022 “.