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Eurovision bans Russia from 2022 contest following Ukraine invasion

The European Broadcasting Union says Russia's inclusion would bring the contest into "disrepute."

By Will Stroude

Words: Will Stroude; Image: Wiki Commons

Russia has been banned from participating in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced.

On Friday (25 February), organisers of the world’s biggest music competition confirmed that Russia would not be allowed to compete following its invasion of Ukraine.

Just a day earlier, Eurovison organisers had said they were “currently planning” to include Russia in May’s competition in Turin, describing the contest as a “non-political cultural event”.

Friday’s announcement from the EBU stated that the decision to kick Russia out of the Eurovision 2022 had been made “following a recommendation… by the Eurovision Song Contest’s governming body, the Reference Group, based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU.”

It continued: “The decision reflects concerns that, in light of the unprecendented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute.”

The statement reiterated that the EBU is an “apolitical” organisation dedicated to celbrating “diversity through music”.

Tension between Russia and Ukraine has impacted the Eurovision Song Contest several times in recent years.

In 2016, Russia was favourite to win the competition before Ukraine’s entry Jamala swept to an unexpected victory with her song ‘1944’, describing the deportation of Crimean Tartars by Soviet Union leader Josef Stalin in 1944.

Coming just two years after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the symbolism of the song was not lost on voters, despite Eurovision’s ban on ‘political’ songs.

A year later, Russia’s Eurovision entrant Julia Samoylova was blocked from entering Ukraine for the competition after reportedly touring Crimea by entering through Russia rather than Ukraine. In response, Russia withdrew from the competition and refused to broadcast it that year.

In 2019, Ukraine’s original Eurovision selection Maruv was dropped from the competition after refusing to sign a contract with Ukraine’s national broadcaster which would have reportedly banned her from performing in neighbouring Russia.

And earlier this year, Ukraine’s original selection for the 2022 contest, Alina Pash, withdrew last week after facing backlash over a trip she made to Crimea in 2015.

The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Turin, Italy from 10-14 May.