It’s the national final that’s shrouded in mystery. And, at the time of writing, we don’t even know what acts or songs are in the running to represent Russia at Eurovision 2021. However, one thing is certain. The selection show will air tonight, Monday 8 March, on Russia’s Channel One at 18:00 CET. Here’s how you can watch online.
Little Big are confirmed to appear. However, it remains to be seen whether they’ll competing or just making a guest appearance.
Watch Russia’s Eurovision 2021 national final online
Grand Final | Natsionalnyi otbor — Monday 8 March
Time: 18:00 CET to 19:00 CET
Channel One will stream the programme on its online player.
Typically, the on-demand player is geo-blocked for viewers outside Russia. However, restrictions are not expected to be in place during the selection’s runtime.
Watch Russia’s Eurovision 2021 selection show.
Russia’s national selection for Eurovision 2021
Russia is getting a national final for 2021. Russia’s broadcaster Channel One surprised many fans when it announced the country’s first national final since 2012. In a press release sent out to Russian media, Channel One confirmed details about the brand new selection show that will be used to pick Russia’s act for Eurovision 2021.
At 20:00 Moscow Time on 8 March, the Russian broadcaster will hold a one-hour long television show to pick Russia’s entry. In a promo ad for the show, the broadcaster already suggested that there are more artists to pick from. Starring Little Big’s “Uno” music video dancer Dima Krasilov, the ad said: “On International Women’s Day, and on the first day of Maslenitsa, we will choose with the whole country who will go to Eurovision.”
In its press release, Channel One reaffirmed that it is not only a matter of picking a song. It’s also a matter of picking an artist. This likely means that the broadcaster did not internally select Little Big with a national final to just choose their entry.
However, despite the appearance of Little Big’s dancer in the promotional video, at this stage, the broadcaster has not confirmed which act or acts will compete in the national final. Channel One did not hold open submissions for the national final. The only other large Russian act that showed interest in the contest was rapper Morgenshtern.
As reported by press agency TASS, viewers alone will decide the result of the Russian national final.
Will you be watching Russia’s selection show? Are you excited? Let us know below.
The best thing about this outcome is that Russia has just pushed San Marino into the top 10 at the bookies!
The fact San Marino is going to do better than Russia says it all even with diaspora etc
The song is so bad there is nothing catchy about it at all, I only like the instrumental bits
Are you from the future? Has San Marino won?
this is miles better than uno. period.
IM SO HAPPY OMG
I’ll need the translated lyrics to know for sure how much I like it, but musically it’s one of the most interesting entries this year. And she has lots of charisma.
A massive downgrade on Little Big but the best choice for tonight. I wish Manizha well in Rotterdam!
Honestly, I like this more than Uno!
Yees, Manizha did it!
For these who are saying it will stay in the semifinals.
How many non-english songs are in this contest?
Finally, something traditional 🙂 🙂 My top 10!
FANTASTIC CHOICE!
Good pick, Mother Russia.
Manizha it is!
What was written on her outfit?
Rashan wuman, “Russian woman” as written in cyrillic letters.
Thanks. 🙂
MANIZHA
OMG MANIZHA WONNN
ok here we go!!
And we’re back!
I’m a little bit shocked reading comments how amazing the songs are. They are literally awful. Russians themselves are very disappointed by the songs. And it’s very weird to listen the song about Russian women from Manizha who is Tajik and has no connection to Russian culture at all. She could present the culture she really belongs to, like Dutch performer this year performing in style of his roots or Jamala presenting Tatar culture in Ukraine.
Um…I think you’ve got your Manizhas mixed up.
wrong but ok. manizha is Tajik but lives in russia so as far as I’m concerned she is Russian
There’s a Manizha who apparently hasn’t performed since 2006 so I doubt that’s her.
You are racist. Russians embrace any nationality and accept Manizha as Russian with Tajik roots.
Russians are racist who would never send a song representing another culture than theirs. I would be happy to listen to the songs from her true repertoire.
Welp…you were wrong!
Dina Gripova (2013) is Tatar
Buranovskiye Babushki (2012) are Udmurt
Anastasiya Prikhodko (2009) is Ukrainian
Dima Bilan (2006,2008) is Kabardian
Natalia Podolskaya (2005) is Belarusian
One of the singers in Primier Minister (2002) is black
Alsou (2001) is Tatar
Philip Kirkorov (1995) is half Bulgarian half Armenian
Youddiph (1994) is Jewish
What are you talking, man?
Forgot, and another singer in Primier Minister is Gypsy and Peter Nalich (2011) has Balkan roots but we can consider him Russian
She is Tajik, and she was born when Tajikistan was part of USSR, so she has some connection…Anyway, I don’t like the songs also
She has as much connection with Russian culture as Gjon (who is Albanian) with Swiss/French and Mahmood with Italian.
And Mahmood, for example, always brings Arabic notes in his songs and it is cool and sincere. Because of it he received hateful comments on San Remo(
I think you would still offend jeangu if you told him he’s not ‘actually Dutch’ because he originates from Surinam. People can be multi cultural.
not people on youtube hating these….how????? this selection is amazing
To paraphrase Beauty and the Beast, they don’t know what they are and it scares them
Your Russia is dropping in odds and I’m so here for it it’s awful.
im literally Australian but go off
I didn’t say you are russian but your “amazing songs” flopped.xD
ur gonna be mad when russia comes top ten lmao, cry more Fred
I damn near never root for Russia so this is new for me.
They are probably just angry that Little Big isn’t selected again and frankly, it’s a bitter pill to swallow to me too. But that aside, the new songs are pretty good.
I’m also noticing people are giving too much attention to the odds dropping. But the truth is that they would drop anyway without Little Big competing.
I had to come here when that evil man came on, sorry – tell me when he’s gone.
I have the news muted. I’m here for the music, man.
I didn’t sign up for this bit with Vladimir Vladimirovitch.
It’s Women’s Day in Russia – the most important national holiday After Christmas, New Year, and Easter.
If it’s Women’s Day, Manizha’s timing couldn’t have really been more perfect
Oh god Putin blech
imagine if russia had been doing selections like this. the potential wins they could have had
This is on par with the best NFs this season and it’s only three songs lol
literally, russia please keep doing this selection I beg
It’s time for some Russian news, after that they will announce the winner 🙂
if manizha doesn’t win we riot
I will also accept Therr Maitz, another amazing song. but I’d have to give the edge to Manizha
I’m fine with any of them but particularly those two as well.
I love #2Mashi its such a mood, but i dont have a clue what its about even though its english
Not even – half the thing’s in Spanish.
They will announce the results after News
The national selection will continue from cca 19:30 CET / 21:30 MSK
Tell us later the winner
how long for?
Kalomoira much better than Dima Bilan
Vania Fernandes had an even better song than both of them. 🙂
My ’08 fave is Mör ve Otesi. Best Turkish act ever.
I loved Turkey too. In my top 10. 2008 had a *really high top* and a *really low bottom*. A really polarizing year, IMHO.
Really decent. My top 3 with We Could Be the Same and Dinle.
My exact top 3 as well! Halley and Besinci Mevsim are also up there for me.
Just imagine having juries in 2008. She could easily make top 3 by the juries (along with Ani Lorak and Kalomira) and top 5 overall
I think the UK’s backup jury had Portugal first in both the semi and the final. THAT’S taste.
No arguments there. Vania, Jelena, Paolo and Olta all had masterpieces in 2008. 🙂
no the believe….
Here I was, thinking we were about to get the result, but now we’re listening to the worst Eurovision winner ever YEAH I SAID IT
Still overproduced garbage all these years later. It’s aged like milk. You get Timbaland circa ’08 to produce your entry and THIS is what he comes up with? And yeah, sing it up a key to make it even more grating, fantastic.
I second that. At least Dima looks much better tonight than while performing it back then. And no ice skater spinning in the space of his bedroom.
Put a bowtie on a pig, it’s still a pig
But just 2 years before he looked just fine!
One can argue about that. For me it’s Azerbaijan 2011
Running Scared was a wet blanket of a song, but it doesn’t make me actively grind my teeth in annoyance. I feel its reputation would be better if it hadn’t won. Believe would suck no matter how it finished.
I never understood the hype for it
I agree. Voted for Ukraine and Portugal back then in 2008, but Russia (which is my native country) won with such a cheese overproduced entry. Sigh
See, maybe Kirkorov sending garbage entries on behalf of his own country has been a long-term revenge for “Believe” beating “Shady Lady” which actually would’ve been a decent winner in that crummy year.
We all know, that Eurovision victory was bought, as well as Azerbaijan did it in 2011.
The voting will be open for another 30 minutes or so!
That makes more sense, it would be impossible to have a national final in just one hour with so many guest acts.
Well, thank computer Gods there is VPN :p Witchcraft!
I predict that Manizha will take a landslide win 🙂 My favourite!
It’s funny how some of the reactions are completely different on the other post about the Russian final. I feel the winner will have a hard time in the comments for not being Little Big or something in Sergey’s style.
It’s understandable, but these artists are not the ones to blame here. Wouldn’t it be worst if they were trying to push something quirky in order to try to replace Little Big with something in a similar vein?
if Manizha is selected she might be my eurovision winner so far. not even joking, its THAT good
no.3 is a really good one – true russian music + modern beats.
should be the winner. 🙂
omg pls let it be Manizha, I keep replaying it its SO GOOD
THIS IS TOP 5 OMG PLSSS RUSSIA PICK HeR
She’s my favorite too! Would be my highest-ranked Russian entry in ages and ages.
another commercial break?! whut
We have more commercial breaks than the actual show hahaha. Though now I’m sure that they’re going to count the votes
but the voting hasn’t been closed yet, or has it?
Almost at the hour and I think the voting’s still open.
Wow Kontopoulos knows Russian?
I’m not shocked.
Little Big just confirmed they aren’t going to Eurovision, which is a total shame because they were such a fan favorite. I am excited to see the new artists but I know many people will be disappointed to not have Little Big perform
That I do not know, I am surprised since they said they wanted to go. But apparently they and Channel 1 decided to not go. Maybe they will say after the show
Polina is great. She made me like something like “A Million Voices”, this tells how much I appreciate her as a performer.
“A Million Voices” is so infinitely better in Russian I’m dumbfounded they didn’t keep it that way for Eurovision. I’d like it way more.
Well it’s great in both versions, but I personally enjoy more the English one as I’m able to understand it lol
Ironically, knowing the lyrics in English made me like it less ‘cuz I thought they were very very generic.
Have you translated the Russian ones, though? Songs often tend to have the same topic and often a lot of similar expressions in another language. Not saying that’s the case here. I just have no idea. It sounds beautiful in Russian, tho.
Kirkorov is my paralysis demon
now, why didn’t we have this Russian ‘a million voices’ at Eurovision? I would have loved it 10000 times more
Great minds think alike!
Thank god there’s POLEGEND GAGARINA
(PS While she sings in Russian I sing the English version hahaha)
Interesting to see how the Mother Russia is below San Marino in Oddschecker. What a time to be alive!
I mean seeing what they got I’m surprised they not last in the odds.
So i came back for the final results and the first thing I see is a close up of philip kirkorov’s face singing a dreadfully awful song.
Yea i’m outta here
Hahahaha mood
Some rumors say that Dana International was vaguely inspired by Kirkorov when creating her ESC winning song in 1998. 😉 😉 😉
He covered it later on. That’s kinda interesting. I at least give him credit for being pro-LGBT and pro-Crimea, from what I’ve heard.
He literally called Conchita “it” last week, and has never, even remotely given indication that he’s pro-LGBTQI+
OK scratch that then. Don’t know where I heard that. I think Sergey is?
Sergey is pro-LGBT, yes.
Alright, I still like Sergey.
I hope that Koldun is as well, but I have no info on him. Anyway, he had my favorite Belorussian entry ever and later he stopped working with Kirkorov and is his own producer. Looks great tonight as well. 🙂
EDIT: I looked for it and he appears to be (at least generally) pro-LGBT. He performed at a gay club in 2020 and said that he sees no different on who is audience is and that sexual orientation is a neutral and private thing. Good guy, Dimitry!
Good for him!
Yeah, good to know that two among my favorite Eastern Bloc performers, Sergey and Koldun, are both pro-LGBT. Makes me like them even more. 🙂
He is likely one of those who is pro-LGBT when the West asks and anti-LGBT when conservatives ask. I doubt that his actual opinion is very much on one side or the other. He just wants to be liked by everyone. Take it as you please from it.
I’m kinda satisfied with the fact these two Russian (officially) closeted gays were bitten twice in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Especially by Duncan who was pretty open and humble at the same time
.
Filipp Kirkorov is stealing every minute airtime he’s able to get. Magnificent.
Manizha’s song and therr maitz’s song both go so hard its so hard to decide
Yeah who would be last in the semi finals easier xD
girl shut up
Oh no it’s gonna sing
We don’t have to treat him the way he treats others. Stand above it.
I don’t want to hear or see Kirkorov ever again, I’m so tired of him. And lol @ Natalia being glued to his side like a lost puppy
Of course “Kolbelnaya diya vulkana” was in fact released in Romanian in ’85 and he hadn’t realized that bc he thought it was just a demo he had laying around, but they’re ignoring that…
And oh great, he took his best Eurovision song and put an annoying dance beat behind it.
russia is plummeting in the odds… undeservedly