Eurovision show is something like a circus tent for modern music lovers and something like nirvana for soft pop music fans. It’s been for several years that Russia struggled hysterically for the first prize, but the second place was the best it managed to reach. Two years ago Dima Bilan was stopped by the Finnish “monsters”. And yet he did not give up.    

By the year 2008 the passions about Eurovision had reached the critical point with us and became a kind of mass pop hysteria: it’s hardly to imagine what could have become of the patriotically disposed audience of the Rossiya TV station if we had not won again! And the moment of triumph came at last: the Russian macho Dima Bilan, whose producer threatened not to allow him to sing in Europe, managed to get to Serbia and take the first prize. It’s not for nothing that he sang in his song Believe Me. Well, it has to be admitted that Dima behaved in appropriate manner: he sang sadly and loudly, rent his white shirt, lifted up his hands, called to Evgeny Plyushchenko (who was without microphone but on the skates) and to a Hungarian musician Edwin Marton  (who could not sing but played a Stradivarius violin).          

The public media opinion was different to this victory. Actually, so many national heroes have appeared in Russia during last two weeks that children are going to have a difficult choice about who is better to take example of.  

Well, anyway Dima Bilan was chosen by international audience. Psychologists would say it’s the phenomenon of the group favoritism. Cynics would say it’s all big money working. And a well known musical critic Artemy Troizky said the following: 

“First. I’m always glad to see my country win, but not on any battle field and not at any costs. The Eurovision contest is not the place where a victory should be proud of as a national achievement. Unlike the football and hockey cups where the victory was gained in honest struggle with the use of mastery and strong character, the Russia’s victory in Eurovision was secured not with the great talent by Dima Bilan but with the votes of the Russian Diaspora members who live all over former USSR and Israel.  

Second. What kind of Russian triumph are we talking about when Dima Bilan sang his song in broken English? Having such an advantage due to the votes given for him by our former compatriots he could have sung in his native language like it was done by former Yugoslavians, Israeli, French, Spanish and many others.”    

Well, the good news is that a merry party will be held in Moscow in a year, with street festivities. This is what we can and like doing.  

…Deputy prime minister Alexander Zhukov has already been instructed to make up a commission responsible for preparations of the Eurovision in Russia next year. Well, at least the President will be engaged in something else!