Russia in Eurovision: All songs from 1994-2018 (REACTION) 

Ok Polina and Sergey was the best omg ♥

I like Russia in the 2000s. 1994: 😊 1995: Nice, good voice 😮 1996: 😊😄 2000: 😊 2001: 😎 I love it. My winner that year and one of the best in that decade 😄 2002: 😊 2003: 😍😍😘 I love that song. One of the best songs of t.A.T.u. and my runner-up after "Sanomi" (yes, I agree it was not beautiful heard them sing at live, but any fan of t.A.T.u. knows why they sang like that: "Podnebesnaya") 2004: 😊 2005: 😊 2006: My runner-up after "Lelja". I love it, Dima sang with a lot of energy 2007: 😄 2008: 😂 The staging was really interesting to see 🤣 2009: My winner that year. I love it, it's really beautiful 😍 2010: In my top 3. 😄 What a beautiful voices 😍 2011: 😊 2012: 😂🤣 2013: 😊 2014: 😃😄 Nice 2015: Good voice 2016: 😮 Great staging !! 😀 2018: Nice song 😊

Your reaction to "Thunder and lightening, it's getting exciting" is the best description of my love for this song and performance!

Totally agree with Sergey and Polina. Two amazing entries which should have won. I also love Primadonna a lot!

Sergey didn't win is a crime. Agree, and also Paulina too.

My thoughts: - 2003: It was cool, iconic and memorable. Anti-diva entry which is amazing. Wouldn't mind it as winner. - 2008: Dima was the right winner that year imo. - 2009: I get this one hahah. But agree it's love/hate - 2010: same love/hate and I'm with Matt. For some reason I just really like it 😅. It felt super Russian yep. - 2011: Fine but we have so many generic pop male acts that year.. - 2012: Amazing gosh. If you have heart and feelings, it's impossble to not love and enjoy this entry. So good. - 2014: Agree. Performance worked - 2015: She was amazing yep - 2016: That was so epic. Didn't get it back then but Sergey should have won for sure even tho I like Jamala better. - I also love their debut in 1994. Dima's entry in 2016 was amazing. And Serebro were amazing as well in 2007. Good for Russia

One of my favourite countries in Eurovision for sure

And time for our eastern neighbors :) My top 5: 1. Youddiph (real name Masha Katz - that's easier I think) - Vyechniy strannik for me is the best Russian entry of all time. Right there, at the very beginning. Amazing debut. Fantastic song, performance, voice. I also love the longer and English version of this song. 3: Anastasia Prikhodko - Mamo. I get why you can't get into it Matt, however I am Polish and I immediatly understand most of Russian and Ukrainian lyrics in the song without translating. I find it touching, beautiful, dramatic - her voice, way of singing, combined with lyrics and graphics.Maybe it's common Slavic soul if I can put it that way. I remember I cried first time hearing it. I wish Russia was more daring like this recently. Hey, it's been almost a decade from this. Time to go deeper, please. 3. Alla Pugachova - Primadonna. To me she deserved top10 at least, if not top 5 (I would kick out Ireland for this). I love the song, Alla is a real diva (in good way, great artist) with fanastic voice. And I must add how much I love performance of backing vocalists. Maybe small detail, but they add so much to this song. Rarely we have such great use of them in Eurovision. 4. Natalia Podoloskaya - Nobody Hurt No One. Yes I know :D I love rock and loved it back in 2005 and still do. 5. Alsou - Solo. Very good pop song back then. Still very pleasant. I would give them victory, Denmark was very good, but not my winnner that year. I also like: Serebro: this is the song I don't confess to liking ;D Completly not my cup of tea, but for some reason I really like it! Out of Russian rather recent pop songs this is my fave. Dina and Polina gave wonderful performances on the night, but songs were typical ESC ballads. I get bored of most of them with time, this is the case here. Deserved high placings but not the winners for me. Unpopular opinion (I guess): I can't stand Dima and Sergey songs. Maybe with Dima is more his voice than his actual songs I prefer Never Let you Go tiny bit more than Believe Me, but his voice just so annoys me I can't get past it to like the songs as a whole. Sergey not the voice or performance (he's really great), but specifically just the song. Just can't stand it and whole show was designed to make me forget how generic and mediocre this is. Sorry Russia, but this is a big fat "No" from me. Burnovskiye Babushki. Oh how I wish they went to Eurovision with their 2010 song! It was awesome, soooo much better in my opinion. But Party For Everybody was still such fun song and they are so endearing you can't resist them. No wonder Europe didn't! Maybe place number 2 is a bit too much like you say, but I would be totally fine with Top5-Top10 I guess. Speaking of 2010.... I hated Peter's song with so much passion back then. Especially when it qualified. Russia and Belarus .Oh how much I cursed back then. But when my bitterness came down, few years ago I really started to like it. So in the end I must admit it did deserve the spot in the final. In general I wish Russia could mix it up a bit more recently, from ballads to schlagers. I'm begging for something more artisitic and less safe. Who knows, maybe then they actually would win! Country is really rich with great and talented people, find someone and give us a masterpiece ;)

I was six years old in -94, and I wanted that dress sooo bad. I still do. Such a great debut!

sergey lazarev eurovision 2019 good luck

I loved Youddiph in 2004 and Peter Nalitch in 2010 and I agree, the booing of Polina Gagarina was shameful, I felt so sorry for her and you could see how upset she was, an uncomfortable watch on the night.

Team Polina Love her she so deserve to win!! Tean Sergey love him as well so much But 2018 why Russia WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

Oh Matt, I love ''Lost and Forgotten'' aswell. I probably shouldn't, but I'm still listening to this song every day, it's actually on my Top 100 (2008-2018) list. And am I really the only one that loved Sergey's song for the Music abd not for the staging? The staging was of Course Incredible, but the song itself was enough to make me love it. (Also on my top 100)

Love so many of Russias entries in the ESC. A cool country in the ESC. MY opinion: 1994: 12p Great. Everybody talks about Poland. But this was sooo good! 1995: 8p Nice song, but a bit old fashioned. 1997: 12p Magic! Alla is a living legend, loved her during the 80’s when she often visited Sweden to perform. 2000: 8p Okay, but there were better songs that year. 2001: 12p I love it. So unusual, but still genuin and catchy. 2002: 7p Cute but a bit odd. 2003: 6p Not my cup of tea 2004: 5p Boring 2005: 5p Boring 2006: 12p Dimas best song in the ESC. Would love to se him in the ESC again. Perhaps as a host if/when Russia win next time? 2007: 8p Cool 2008: 10p Very well performed. Dima is a great artist. The song itself sounds a bit out of date. 2009: 12p I love it. She is so great and the song is dramatic and good! 2010: 10p Love this one too. Gets in your heart! 2011: 2p For me, this is their worst entry ever. 2012: 12p So much heart, so much charm. Love it!!! 2013: 12p Wonderful and great in every way. Gets in to ones heart. 2014: 8p An ok song very well performed. 2015: 10p Great performance but not as good as 2013. The audience were terrible. So much hate. Badly done. 2016: 12p Great performance and the juries were disrespectful. I love the Ukrainian song, though. 2018: 7p Love Yulia, but it was not a good song for her. And the stage? OMG, awful.

Russia suddenly turned mainstream in 2000 and started to understand how Eurovision works. I appreciate their efforts and passion they have: almost every year they send big names. Tatu deserved 3rd place and their contribution to Eurovision at that point was significant: they were the only commercially successful act at ESC when ESC was really...low and outdated (2000 to 2003 were all horrible years, well 2003 a bit less because Latvia made a great show and the winning entry was super successful). Regardless of behaviour of Tatu girls, their participation helped ESC to grow that year and their song was so different than anything else that year. So we have to look at their participation from wider perspective. I hope Russia will win again sooner or later because they deserve it. Booing: no comment. One thing I kinda start to dislike about Russia is they turned too much mainstream with their acts. I hope they will add some Russian spices into their entries in future.

I remember everyone thinking I was joking when I said that Russia was one of my favorites back in 2010. Today I understand why they might have thought so (I really was confused back then, however). But I still genuinely love it.

I like their song in 2000

You were almost right. The violinist (Edvin Marton) is not hungry, he is hungarian. :)

Love Russia in eurovision. But my one and only love is still Alsou with Solo 😍

I wish you could react to more Eurovision country compilations!! Please do Iceland next!

Our cats - Sookie, Dexter & Olivia - say hello to Dustin. Love your videos, Matt. Keep up the good work.

During Polinas song People in the arena where singing along. I was there, and it was great.

Philipp Kirkorov is also best friends with Andriy Danylko (Verka). They are extremely hillarious when they go on stage together.

last bit was a bit incorrect, but greetings for your try :) Filip is always tried to win it :D Alla by the way is the biggest star in Russia, and she was married ti Filip back then :) Serebro are famous for their oversexualized lyrics and video in Russia.. Babushki were mine favorites. Polina's entry, could better if they gave her some of her typical songs, which were way better...but she always sounds great..

Great video, thanks Matt!💙 Although it's from 4 years ago, I do agree with all your insights. And I'm being very strictly ESC based at the moment. As much as I can. The world changed drastically on 24th of February, 2022. Particularly and directly for a certain large nation in Europe and... It also touched MANY MANY more nations and people in Europe and all over the world. In the big picture, I'm just so, so sad... Sad and frustrated... Even angry. Especially angry at a certain P. person. Furious, actually, and full of hatred towards him for putting so many nations, so many people in the situation we're currently living in. It's just so disgusting what he did and what he does. I truly feel for all the victims of his unthinkable decisions. Was all of this absolutely necessary, was it worth it? IS IT WORTH IT?!?! The questions I'd want to ask in person from that insane dictator. I myself feel as a victim, too. Although I'm not in the center of this tragedy and my sorrow is not in any way comparable to the nation who suffers for real, in real-time, physically and mentally. Many say that music (or sport or culture or whatever) and politics should not be mixed and should be treated separately - I say to them, they are not wrong. But, by far, not right either, because they evidently lack the understanding or willingly ignore it - this doesn't work that way, it's not all that simple. It's a feeling - feelings ARE and COME from INSIDE of a person! And every person has a right to feel differently! My sorrow is that I love music. And I did love aggressor state music as well. But I can't anymore. It's not about politics, it's a feeling (maybe due to politics, but still). I really liked many of the aggressor state Eurovision entries. Especially I loved Polina and Lazarev's first song. Even Manizha was one of my favorites in 2021, watched their national final as well. Little Big was my favorite to win in 2020. Now, to put it mildly, I would very much NOT like to see this country competing in ESC, as well in any other competition in Europe or the wider free world. PS to Matt - I understand that you can't feel t.A.T.u and I don't blame you for that. On the other hand, it's no surprise for me they ended up so high in 2003. t.A.T.u. was HUGE in Europe at that time (and had been for a few years). I ADORED them, being a late teenager at the time I even had their poster on my bedroom wall😁These girls were Superstars, not only in my country (Estonia), but literally, everywhere. But yes, that's all the past now. I can say, the feeling inside resembles a lot the issue with my ex-girlfriends🤧In some part, deep down in my heart, I still love them all, but at the same time, I couldn't stand them, even for a second. No more Nyusha playlist, BI-2, Zemfira, Miyagi, Timati, Zveri.... Btw, Zveri's До скорой встречи - GREAT VIDEO! ABSOLUTELY GENIAL! Inside of me, they have to be cancelled. I HATE THAT FEELING, but that's how it is... My heart refuses to love them and it makes me infinitely sad and madly furious at the same time. Forgive me, if I insulted anybody with this post. Not my intention (even if you are a reader from the aggressor state). And sorry for spilling my guts under your video, Matt. Keep up the good work and greetings to all @escUnited team!💙

2018 was Russia's first time of failing to qualify from an official, televised semi-final (which is part of a multi-night ESC) since such semi-finals were introduced in 2004. Before then, Russia failed to qualify from the audio qualifier in 1996.

Also deserved to win 2000

But.... What kind of crime is Sergey not winning in 2016? I mean he wasn't even the second, right? He's not the first televote winner who didn't win the contest itself, why people don't say sth like 'Italy not winning in 2015 is a crime? (Italy, by the way, won the televote by a large margin, which cannot be said about Sergey). My point is that if Sergey had really been 'the real winner' (as many like to say) then he would've got more votes from the public and didn't turn out to be thrird, right? Get over it, ppl.

I loved the old ladies who represented Russias entry in 2012! They were so cute and funny!

When are you going to make more of these videos? I love them!

I love Lost & Forgotten, Shine, A Million Voices, You’re the Only One and I Won’t Break. Russia plays to win & the contest is so much better for it. And yes, Sergey should have won.

In 2005 Andy Knoll told that the most drama he experienced til this date commenting ESC where caused by the girls of t.A.T.u. They behaved arrogantly and the reason the live vocals were so bad was, that the girls refused to rehearse. One of them had even a medical certificate (sore throat) which she waved every time they fought with the director. In 2005 Andy didn't know that the real drama would happen 2014 😉

I don't remember 2011's entry at all! Must have been a memorable song...2012 on the other hand, who could forget?! Eurovision classic!

The performers of 2014 won the junior Eurovision in 2006

And right after Russia's win in Eurovision Young Musicians last night. :)

As a Ukrainian I did not like jamala's song. It was good and very emotional and powerful but I feel like she was given the win due to the political situation with ukraine and russia. I feel like politics had too much involvement and I think Sergey should have won. This song was amazing, the performance was amazing, and he was amazing.

My favourites: 1995, 1996 (If It got through the semi), 1997, 2001

Kirkorov has good songs. Atlantida Ty ty ty(you you you) and Бегущая по волнам(Running on the waves?)

For me my top 5 is: 5. 2014 4. 2000 3. 2009 2. 2008 1. 2016

1997 are my favourite through the years. But there are quite a few great entries from Russia!

Tatu was popular back then. Put ABBA in 78-81 and they win just standing there. Or beatles in 60s.

I’m probably the only one who likes Believe 😂

Hello Matt's cat!

My fave: 2015, 2016 Least favorite: 2018

I love the Russian entry's in 1994, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2014 and 2016. And awful that boooing. Next time, Netherlands Matt?

i think a big reason why russia didn't qualify in 2018 is because the russian delegation didn't believe in julia. they did everything to put her out of the spotlight. the stage director said himself he put her on that giant mountain to "hide her disability" they put this dancing couple in front of her to show her as little as possible and also made the background singers loud enough to overshadow her voice most of the song. when the country itself doesn't believe in the artist how is europe supposed to believe in them

Lost and Forgotten is one of the favourite Russian entries on Twitter lol

I really like the 2010 entry! 2015 is my top favorite followed by 2013. 2016 had the best staging of any Eurovision entry, but I can't say I'm a big fan of the song. Too repetitive and generic for me, so I was happy when Ukraine won with a far superior song from a musical and vocal standpoint.

When will you do Switzerland?

Really dont like those standard songs like sergey and polina. Was happy they did not win! My personal favo is still shine. Two voices so great and hard to make it a whole! Furthermore i hope on a real russian song in their native language

2000 Alsou - Solo 2003 t.A.T.u - Ne ver' , ne boisia 2006 Dima Bilan - Never Let You Go 2008 Dima Bilan - Bilieve WINNER 2012 ♥️ Buranovskiye Babushki - Party for Everybody 2014 Tolmachevy Sisters - Shine 2015 Polina Gagarina - A Million Voices 2016 Largey Lazarev - You are the only one 2018 Julia Samoylova - I wont break. WHO SOULD RESPECTET RUSSIA 2019?

Philipp Kirkorov (as I read about) is a quite big star and celebrity over there. And he is also famous for singing ESC and melodifestivalen hits in Russian. Like 'I would die for you' (ESC Greece 2001) or 'Playing with Fire' (ESC Romania 2010)

I think Bilan won the second time more because everyone thought that he either got robbed the first time around or got unlucky with the opponent (depending on your attitude towards Lordi). I hate what he does to his voice. He’s a classically trained singer with great voice but he chooses to sing with this tone. He participated and did very well in the contest where pop singers had to perform opera, musical, and old style pop songs that required much better vocal training then what is required today. (Sergei Lazarev won that show btw) Here’s Dima with one of his performances: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W_sd3w0aqH8.html And here’s Sergei: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eWjnKXmHAQw.html

Polina will always be my winner, politics or not.

No, you didn't say that right, but good try

Why did you not use Connor J's video? 🇷🇺 🇷🇺

I think Polina and Sergei did well, but with the political climate that was going around at that time, people didn't want to go to Russia for the contest. Sergei just didn't have the points from the Jury since I think he was 6th or 7th place at that point. And I felt so bad for Polina in 2015, she was awesome but as I said the climate around Russia was at it's lowest. And Julia this year, I have to say with her song just wasn't strong enough to be in the final. Hopefully they do a national final this time and try to get some new faces to the contest.

You doing the forum promotion typing "I love Ukraine" in a video about Russia cracked me up (I'm Russian).

What happened to Russia after going amazingly and successfully crazy in 2012? Why did they turn to boring ballads? Luckily Sergey came up!

I don't get it, why everyone loves mamo! What's so great about this?

I very liked mumintroll on 2001

1994, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2016👍

Russia is one of my favourites in Euro♡ision. RUSSIA 🇷🇺 Greetings from Greece 🇬🇷

2007 had the best entry

What happened with Tatu in 2003? Why were they brats?

Did u know that the tolmachevy sister won jesc in 2006

i still love Youddiph, the first russian entry

Everytime I watch the grandfinal of 2016 and I get to the point Sergey didn’t win, I still get mad and sad. Like you said, it’s not only the performance. I loveeeee the song so much!

Russia is a GREAT country in Eurovision. I LOVEd their debut in 1994 and since then I disliked only a few of their entries (2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012). My favorites are still the entries from Dima Bilan and Sergey Lazarev (they are the kings of Eurovision, fight me). Dima Bilan's songs are underrated as hell and so is Dima himself (by the fandom then). He's an amazing singer/performer and both of his songs were masterpieces. Also Dina, Polina and Also were great

Alla Pugachova was Phillip Kirkorov's wife))

Mumiy Troll and Nalich are my favourites

Sergey Lazarev is the best. I love sergey Lazarev and Francesco Gabbani and IL voló.

Dima Bilan

The only reason I watched the Eurovision 2003 was because of t.A.T.u. Here Eurovision and melodifestivalen is seen as not manly, like more a show toward gay people, WHICH IS FINE! but Im not being feminine or gay means I never watch it, except for 2003 and t.A.T.u. and they did not win, which seem like a staged anti russia thing so never watch eurovision again

Yay for Russia!

2009 and 2010 are the two times I have liked Russia:-)

Russia was the best in 2003, I love this song ,, Ne ver', ne boisia"

Russia esc 2017 " Flame is Burning " Julia Samoylova

My favourite is Peter Nalitch & Friends - Lost And Forgotten , second is Sergey.

You Are The Only One was so hyped up all over the social networks, I've seen multiple ''vote for Sergey'' ads popping up here and there, like news sites and etc.

Liked Mumintroll 2001

Is it just me or does the music from San Marino’s “Maybe” sound like Russia’s “Believe me”

Seeing the placings relative to the performance, wow Russia is overrated when they're bad. re: last 10 years 2009: I love Mamo but I get why the staging is a turn-off 2010: Not bad, but 11th is too high 2011: I don't want to feel your armpit bye 2012: YAS GRANNIES LOVE LOVE LOVE 2013: Staging is so plain but it's such a good song 2014: Agreed, meh song with great staging 2015: Love her and her voice but given the quality of the year, 2nd feels a bit much 2016: Okay song, but ONE OF THE BEST STAGINGS OF ALL TIME 2017: (n/a) 2018: Overdue NQ given the 2000s material

You should really just add Austaralia to the end of one of these.

Lazarev and Gagarina it's all.

Add spain at the next poll please!

Anyone watch netflix? Alex from “unreal”?)

я и забыла, что у Налича была чудная песня

rusia was non qualification twise. You should know that.

I just can't ignore your cat sorry :D

I love sergey very much

i mean that when tatu represent their song yulia s voice was solid and good but lena s voice i really hated their entry because of lena her voice is not clear,she did not hit some tones i mean that spoiled their entry i still feel bad for them because just watch some videos of them they can sing perfectly..pray for t.a.t.u

Sergey 💕

russia 2004 sounds like maybe

Do The Netherlands next

Mumiy Troll was SO good!

Babushki and sergey was the best

lets start with the obvious, Sergey should have won the contest and it is shown in the televote. Polina is a well deserved runner up and had the best vocals of 2015. fans should never boo and offend the singers performing, Eurovision is all about keeping politics out(with block voting being the exception). i actually like dima's 2008 performance and Russia at ESC is all about over the top show...Julia had an awfull performance and could someon explain why she stoped singing half way through the song, 'cause i did not understand it during the live show....

You look younger

'You are the only one' is very outdated song. And if it would be any other country than Russia it would be much more harmed by juries tbh.