The winner of the three-and-a-half-hour Intervision show will be decided by an international jury. Photo: AP PHOTO

Intervision, the Russian alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest, has kicked off in Moscow with a message from President Vladimir Putin, who said the event promotes cultural identity preservation.

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"Respect for traditional values and the diversity of cultures is the fundamental idea of the competition and inspires participants to achieve artistic heights," he said.

The musical competition, featuring 23 countries, is being held in front of about 11,000 spectators at t

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