The Voice of the People: what to expect from SHAMAN at Intervision'25
Russia will be represented at Intervision by SHAMAN, the author and performer of the songs. The revived international music competition will be held on the stage of the Live Arena on September 20, 2025. Earlier, a decree on its holding was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is planned that participants from two dozen countries will come to Moscow. Read more about the upcoming event in the Izvestia article.
Who could become a participant of Intervision
The idea of reviving the international music competition "Intervision" has long been in the air. In February 2025, it became known that Vladimir Putin signed a decree on its holding in Moscow. The implementation was not long in coming. The grand celebration will be held in the capital on September 20th. Hospitable Moscow will host artists from two dozen countries on the stage of the Live Arena.
For our compatriots, the main intrigue still remained who would represent Russia at the competition. SHAMAN immediately became one of the most discussed and likely candidates. When asked if he was ready, he replied: "If the country calls, I'll go." And the country called.
A week earlier, a survey was launched on the Telegram channel of the contest, inviting subscribers to choose a worthy one. Among the candidates were Polina Gagarina, The Hatters, Pelageya, Sergey Lazarev, Marie Kraymbreri, Dima Bilan, Tatiana Kurtukova and the fashionable folk band Ay Yola from Bashkiria, which recently reached the top of the Russian and world charts with the track Homay. The result speaks for itself — SHAMAN has 45% of the votes (at the time of writing, about 9 thousand people took part in the survey).
Singer Polina Gagarina
On May 19, it was officially announced that SHAMAN would become the voice of Russia on Intervision. It is reported that VTSIOM data became fundamental in determining the participant from Russia at Intervision'25, according to which SHAMAN was recognized as the most popular pop singer of 2024.
"I feel a lot of responsibility, excitement and inspiration at the same time,— SHAMAN told Izvestia. — So many people believed in me so much that they trusted me to represent our country at an international competition, a very difficult musical competition. How we conduct it this year will determine what it will be like in the future. That is also why it is very exciting to be a pioneer, to stand at the origins of a great event that should connect the cultures of different countries and become a good tradition.
It is still unknown which song the artist will perform. According to the rules of the contest, the timing of the song must be at least two and no more than three minutes. It must be written specifically for the competition or be fresh — no earlier than the end of 2024. In addition, it must meet traditional values and may include national motives.
The well-forgotten old
The name "Intervision" is well known to those who have seen the last decades of the last century. The prototype was the international song Festival, which has been held since 1961 in the Polish city of Sopot. Performing there was considered prestigious for every country in the Eastern bloc. The USSR took part in this competition for the first time in 1963. More than half a century has passed since then, generations have changed, the world has changed, but music, as before, continued to unite millions of people all over the planet. Officially, the countdown for the "Intervision" began in 1977. The launch was also given in Poland.
— The Eastern European television content exchange system Intervision launched its song contest in 1965 - it was held as part of festivals in Czechoslovakia (Prague, Bratislava, Karlovy Vary) and Poland (Sopot), and in 1968 it became the first musical television event broadcast throughout Europe, — says the head of the InterMedia news agency, Eugene Safronov. — The high level of the festival has been repeatedly noted by the public, it was even positively mentioned in the famous song by Vladimir Vysotsky ("Mishka Shifman". — Izvestia). In 1980, the last song contest was held, and the Intervision system itself was closed in 1993. The organizers of the new Intervision contest will have to recreate it almost from scratch and at a decent level. It's a very ambitious task, but I'm sure it can be done — talented composers, singers and directors will never be transferred here.
If the socialist camp had Intervision, then the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has Eurovision. The focus and ideology of the contest, which promotes values alien to Russia, turned our country away from this show. Ilya Bachurin, the music producer and head of Mosconcert, also felt that something was wrong with this musical review. While working for Channel One, he was the head of the Russian delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest for several years.
"Russia was supposed to have its own competition, which would feature worthy artists," Ilya Bachurin told Izvestia. — The concept proposed by Konstantin Ernst at the Cultural Forum in St. Petersburg was most appropriate for the moment and corresponded to the expectations of the audience and the potential accumulated and behind the Intervision brand. And the potential lies in countries that are much closer to each other in terms of cultural code and cultural values. And Russia, which has invited these countries, is doing an important and very useful thing not only for itself.
According to the expert, Intervision has a long life and development ahead of it. The geography will expand. The key to success lies in the traditional values lost by Eurovision.
Singer Polina Gagarina
— SHAMAN as a participant from Russia has no alternative today, he is the right artist who can represent our country at a decent level, — said Bachurin.
In autumn, Russia will welcome delegations from two dozen countries. As the organizers promise, the contest will become not just a spectacle, but a symbol of cultural dialogue and international respect. Now, besides SHAMAN, the participants of two more countries are known. Anastasia Kravchenko will represent Belarus. And the NOMAD trio will perform from Kyrgyzstan.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
