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© Stella Floras
St. Petersburg's parliament says 'No'
Russia: Russian deputies against Eurovision
Deputies have addressed the Governor Valentina Matvienko with the request to reject the offer about St. Petersburg hosting the popular international contest next year. The authors of the request apprehend that holding the Eurovision festival will be conducive to use of drugs.
According to opinion of experts the Western music styles that are promoted at Eurovision demoralize our youth and provoke drug abuse - the communication reads.
According to information of law enforcement agencies, in the contest venues in various countries the amount of imported narcotics goes up three times. Foreign guests who come to the contest are often reputed as drug addicts and have police records the initiators of the report point out.
Instead of Eurovision they suggest holding the festival of modern Orthodox spiritual song Neva Cupolas in Saint Petersburg.
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Jonny, very well said. this is absolutely a neutral and making a common sense post.
Finn, don´t worry, the article is indeed misleading. also, dont worry about me - i never adopted the mentioned values despite the residence.
Ok, i am gone to celebrate today´s Russian victory on EURO..
For one, I never said Russia wasn't allowed to host, they won fair and square.
I repeat that the only thing Im worried about that Eurovision will be turned into Russian propaganda. And that's not a strange fear, because after all it's exactly what Putin has been doing to every paper/tv station in Russia since he came to power. This article confirms my worst fears.
But secondly, If this article does indeed distort the reality Im sorry if I was a bit quick. This article makes it sound like its an official stand of the city of St Petersburg, and if it isnt I apologise for generalizing. If it is, I don't think I was wrong to say what I did.
@Fariz,
Great that you think its 'reasonable' to call people youve never met freaks because of one comment. It sounds worrying. Maybe the human rights and democracy in Germany (if thats indeed where you live) are already starting to slow down your capacity to think and analyse..?
@ BURR:
RUSSIA must have won at least ELEVEN TIMES if the ex-USSR was in full shape back in 1994. But it didn't come true until 2008. Be sure Russia will win eleven times or even more from now on 
I think it is unfair for people to say that Russia can't host eurovision because they aren't "a free country", or "un-democratic". Most people are using these terms very lightly and probably don't understand the reasons very well anyway.
In fact to say that Russia can't host eurovision because they are "un-democratic", is borderline racist. ANY country has the right to host eurovision, no matter who or what the government is. Eurovision is supposed to be free from politics, so whether Russia is allowed to host ESC should not be down to how their government works.
It is also interesting that all of people here criticising the hosting of eurovision in Russia, are from western nations, and they don't realise that Russian people have exactly the same right to host eurovision as western people do.
Russia is allowed to host eurovision, they won it this year so therefore they have the right to host eurovision end of story.
Sanna, we want to be part of it, so you stay aside!
FINN, i do and say what i find reasonable to do and to say, ok?
Most of your "values" have a little soundness for me.
I suppose that "democracy, human rights and other brain-washing stuff have slowed down your capability to think and analyse. It is such a nonsense to talk about the whole country (and such the country as big and great as Russian Federation!) referring to some dubious comments from some deputies (whose names, number, etc was never named/mentioned).
This is to say, RUSSIA is not equal to an unknown group of some deputies.
Russia is willing and will provide top-quality Eurovision, but dont even try to intrude into its politics and government affairs! save your democratic values for yourself if you like them.full stop.
@ Finn P
This article distorts the reality. It brings an opinion of couple mad deputies from local assembly and turns it to "parliament request". It is not true and the link I've provided below proves this.
Anyway Saint Petersburg will barely get ESC. Moscow will hold the event more likely.
Thank you Sanna...
@ Fariz:
It would be nice if you could keep your bad language and personal insults to yourself.
And how exactly is there 'bla, bla' behind words like democracy and free press? Are you suggesting we dont live by these values in by far the largest part of Europe? Or don't you think these values are important?
I think they are, and what I'm afraid of is that, like Sanna says, the contest will be turned into a big propaganda show for the people running Russia at the moment - and I'm not at all sure if I'd like to support a show like that by voting or watching.
The point I'm trying to make here, however, is that you shouldnt try to win a show, succeed, and then suddenly go around saying that it corrupts peoples morals. If it's that bad, why did they participate in it the first place?
I do agree -if they don't want to host eurovision why participate? But surley no ticket will be avalible for western fans. Most likley for no fans... But who wats to be a part of a communist press show off?
whenever i counter such freaks as FINN, i start hating even the words "democracy, free press and etc" by themselves, not to mention all the bla-bla-bla behind them.
One more funny fact:
Evgeny Plushenko who is olympic champion in figure skating and who was spinning around Dima Bilan during the show in Belgrade is a deputy in the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg. He is representative of Just Russia party. The petition to take Eurovision away from Saint Petersburg is triggered by his party comrade 
Nonsense? No
I'd like to duplicate the link to make it clear for everyone here that people in Saint Petersburg and it's parplament are about to welcome ESC (even comunists):
http://www.sptimes.r(...)2&story_id=26266
Dear BURR, read this please: http://www.sptimes.r(...)2&story_id=26266 - where is your "City Council"? Legislative Assembly is the most accurate translation of Zakonodatel'noye Sobranie. City Council is not legislative agency, it is like city administration.
So don't be angry to hear that you're talking about things that you don't know.
The link is useful not for BURR only - it's the information directly from Saint Petersburg.
RUSSIA must have won at least ELEVEN TIMES - if all all that rubbish evereryone talks about worked!!!
THE UK so nine and beautiful - fot the 4th year in a in a row gets votesno votes more than just 2 (two countries)
Ive had enough of this blatant Russian arrogance. Keep your gregorian chants, I hope they make you very happy, if you dont want Eurovision then dont bloody participate!
I think St Petersburg saying no is no great loss. I want the Eurovision to be held in a free country with actual democracy and press freedom anyway.
@ Finn P [18662]
I LOVE DUTCH TULIPS!!!
@ SUGABABES 4 EVER! !
That batant arab singer was much better
EU did it's best to dissolve the USSR, then to disintegrate Yugolavia...
Then Serbia
Montengro
Kosovo...
NOT enloy you;ve been fighting for! - DEMOCRACY!!!
@ Lazy Lover [43783]
What a great neaws from you!
I'm so relieved!!!
@ Lazy Lover
Not Quite sure where you are -
bt you are absolutely out of place out of time!!!!
It;s called Городская Дума - which can be translated as City Council
one of the reasons i would really love to see Malta or Portugal winning this contest is for the chance to enjoy an ESC live. Israel would be also o, San Marino or Andorra even better. So let us next year vote according to our personal favourite host country :-)
BURR, your astonishment is normal - Saint Petersbug has no Parliament. It is actually named Legislative Assembly They just don't know what to take up there, because all decisions are made in city administration
@ V Vincent Barbarino [38148]
This link is for you!
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=n3vEIEa_AYo
I could not care less where it takes place ...
... the Western music styles that are promoted at Eurovision demoralize our youth and provoke drug abuse ...
The post-USSR concept of mail order brides, etc. is the modern offering ... a PLAGUE ... mainly from Russia to the Western world.
I wonder if they think whether PAID prostitution DEMORALIZES young Russian girls!!!!
The guys are absolutely out of place out of time!!!!
@ Lazy Lover
I was amazed to hear St Petersburg has PARLIAMENT!!!
LOL!!!
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