Eurovision 2017: Why Russia isn't taking part

The final of Eurovision 2017 airs Saturday from Kiev, but Russia will not be taking part.

Russia has competed in the Eurovision final every year since it joined in 1994. It has been a major player in the international song contest, tied with Sweden for the most top-five finishes this century.

However, host nation Ukraine decided to ban Russian pick Yulia Samoylova from the country after it emerged she had previously travelled to Crimea in 2015 to take part in a concert. Travel to Crimea by foreign nationals without prior authorisation from the Ukrainian government has been a crime in the country since Russia’s 2014 annexation of the region.

Rising tensions

The dispute comes hot on the heels of last year’s Eurovision controversy. Last year Ukrainian contestant Susana Jamaladynova, who goes by Jamala, won a shock victory with her song 1944. The song took aim at the deportation of the Crimean Tatar population by Soviet authorities over 70 years ago. Jamala, who is from Crimea, has stated the song is also a direct criticism of the 2014 annexation.

Russian officials were distinctly unimpressed with Jamala’s win. Konstantin Kosachev, chair of Russia’s Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that “political attitudes prevailed over fair competition.”

Many in Russia did not want to even send a representative to Kiev this year in response to Jamala’s win. There has been speculation in Kiev that Samoylova was actually chosen to represent Russia because of her previous violation of Ukrainian law. Moscow has rejected Eurovision compromise proposals, including sending a different contestant or having Samoylova appear via video link.

History of Russian Eurovision Controversy

Russia is no stranger to Eurovision scandal. The competition has often been used to air Europe’s dissatisfaction with their domestic and foreign policies.

2007

The Ukranian entry in 2007, Verka Serdyuchka, caused similar outrage with his song Lasha Tumbai, which sounded suspiciously like ‘Russia, Goodbye’. The song was widely seen to be referencing Ukraine’s 2004 anti-Russian Orange Revolution, which ousted a Kremlin-backed presidential candidate.

Although Serdyuchka has since has since claimed Lasha Tumbai means “churned butter” in Mongolian, no such words exist in the language.