The Russian leader signed a decree on Monday for the reboot of the Soviet Bloc's song contest equivalent, Intervision, which he has been trying to bring back for over a decade.

Putin looks to be starting a new singing competition this year with a series of 'friendly' Russian allies in response to the on-going Eurovision ban due to his invasion of Ukraine

Russia's love affair with Eurovision reached a peak in 2008, when the singer Dima Bilan was crowned the winner of the competition.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Feb. 3 ordering the revival of the Intervision song contest, the Soviet Union's equivalent to Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest banned Russia from participation in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to RIA, the Russian news agency, after being excluded from Eurovision, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, has decided to revive Intervision, a musical competition from the Soviet era. The goal is to promote Russian culture and unite countries sympathetic to Russia.