Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a revival of the Soviet answer to the Eurovision Song Contest in an effort to counter what he says is the decadence of modern Western culture.

The revived contest, planned to take place in Moscow later this year, is Russia's way of directly challenging Eurovision while promoting "traditional values." View on euronews

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

The petition had garnered signatures of more than 100 people, including Finnish artists and actors, by Tuesday afternoon.

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.