Russia at Eurovision 2021 (YouTube photo)
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that Russia will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. According to them, Russia’s participation could lead to harm to competition “in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine.”
In response, the Russians announced their retirement from the European Broadcasting Union and announced that they would no longer participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Only a few days ago, after the invasion, it was announced that Russia would still participate in the singing competition, but after demonstrations by several countries the European Broadcasting Union changed its position. The decision was also influenced by UEFA’s decision not to hold the Champions League final in St. Petersburg this year, and to move it to Paris. Another event that has been canceled is the Russian Grand Prix of Formula 1, scheduled for September.
Ukrainian channel UA: PBC has urged the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Russia from the Eurovision Song Contest, and broadcasting authorities in several countries such as Iceland, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands have called for Russia to be suspended from competition. Finland has even threatened that if Russia participates, it will not send a representative to the competition in Turin this May.
The EBU said it remains committed to “protecting the values of cultural competition that promotes international exchanges and understanding, brings together audiences, celebrates diversity through music and unites Europe on one stage”
More in-
Ukraine has chosen the Kalush Orchestra’s hip-hop trio, with the song Stefania, after Eurovision contestant Alina Pash, who retired last week after crossing the border into Russia-controlled Crimean peninsula in 2015, through Russia. The Ukrainian government regards people entering the territory through Russia as having crossed the border illegally.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine also overshadowed previous years at the Eurovision Song Contest. Russia was a contender to win the competition in 2016, until Ukrainian singer Jamala stole a last-minute victory with a song depicting the expulsion of the Tatars from the Crimean island by Russian dictator Stalin in 1944. The lyrics of the song were also interpreted as a critique of the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia in 2014.
A year later, Russia’s representative, singer Julia Smoilova, was barred from entering the Ukraine that hosted the competition because she reportedly visited the Crimean peninsula without entering it through Ukraine.
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