I decided to show people the all the different types of Russian women all on one screen. It is a collage of the soul of Russian women. We’re all so different, but we are all together in one country, helping each other. You can see very powerful women – who were activists in Chechnya, in Grozny. Women who are open with their sexuality and who are LGBT activists. One of the women runs the largest foundation to help children with cancer. These women are my inspiration. When I am singing that part of my song with these women behind my back, I always want to cry because I don’t remember having this kind of moment in my country. We are all together, singing, smiling and happy.
We said to them, you can record yourself however you want. Makeup? Fine. No makeup? That’s fine. If you want to wear something, wear it. We want to show real Russian women without photoshop. It’s really cool that we have all the generations – we have grandmothers, we have little girls, we have grown women, we have mums with kids on that screen. Hundreds of women on stage with me!
manizha could come dead last in the esc final but she’d still be a winner for showing the world a side of russia that never gets representation. a refugee representing russia is huge. poc and lgbt ppl being shown on screen during russia’s act is huge. having the guts to criticise misogyny in russia is huge (russian conservatives have been complaining about her song in parliament and she’s even received death threats for challenging the sexism russian women suffer). and she did it in a way that didn’t degrade russia, but honoured its traditions and culture. ppl underrate it, but russian woman is one of the most important songs ever at eurovision. she used her performance to spread an important message to the people of russia, one that uplifts women and minorities, and challenges those who antagonise them. I’ve never been so invested in a eurovision act and performer.
