The Eurovision Song Contest has started in Turin – Russia does not participate and does not vote
The first semi-final of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off at the Royal Palace of Venaria, which is located in the suburbs of Turin, Italy, informs RIA News. 40 countries take part in the competition, but Russia will not participate this year.
Italy won the competition thanks to Maneskin’s victory with Zitti e buoni last year. Eurovision has returned to Italy after more than 30 years.
At the same time, in a note, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) stated that Russia cannot be in the search. The decision was made in connection with the organization’s “concern” about the “unprecedented crisis in Ukraine.” The conflict in Ukraine, according to the organizers, should not be reflected in the program of the contest: as producers, Eurovision will be limited to the political sphere.
At the same time, in the first semi-final of the competition, the audience greeted the performance of the Ukrainian population – the hip-hop group Kalush – with a standing ovation. They are also the undisputed favorite of the duration of the year.
The final of the competition will take place on Saturday. There are two semi-final rounds before it on Tuesday and Thursday, where 17 and 18 performers, respectively, present their musical numbers. The “Big Five”: Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – made it to the final without qualification.
In the semi-finals and finals, viewers of the participating countries may vote by televote, without having voted for the map representing their country. The second evaluation is given by professional juries from each participating country. Eurovision organizers warned that Russians do not take part in the voting, since it is possible “only from countries that take part in the contest.”