Artists from 23 countries are to perform at Russia's Intervision song contest, a revived Soviet-era event. Russia is holding the final of its Intervision song contest on Saturday evening, a competition from Soviet times that has been relaunched by President Vladimir Putin as a conservative answer to the West's glitzy, liberal and queer-friendly Eurovision Song Contest . Russian artists have been banned from participating in Eurovision since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia will be represented by the ultranationalist singer Yaroslav Dronov, alias Shaman, who will perform the song "Straight to the Heart." The next Eurovision Song Contest is to take place in Vienna in 2026.