Seven years after Youddiph's performance, Russia placed second in Stockholm in 2000 (missing first place, which went to Denmark, by 40 points) and then placing a very tight third with t.A.T.u.'s Ne ver Ne Boysia at the 2003 Contest in Riga (Turkey won with 167 points, with Belgium in 2nd place with 165 and t.A.T.u. receiving 164 points for Russia). In 2006, Russia was represented by Dima Bilan, by then a rising star in his home country, and Never Let You Go, with its theatrical performance (a ballerina popped out of the white piano covered in red rose petals that Dima was "playing" and dancing until the end of the song) got Russia another 2nd place finish (this time behind Lordi's Hard Rock Hallelujah from Finland). Two years later, Dima Bilan would return to the Contest in Belgrade with Believe and finally take the winner's trophy to Moscow, with another dramatic performance (this time singing barefoot in front of a wind-machine, with an Olympic figure skater dancing on fake ice behind him). I mean, for realz:
Given Russia's success at Eurovision with songs presented in English (and considering many ex-Soviet republics' vote distribution history), it is never wise to count the "Bear" out of the top of the leader board. This year, the country is represented by 22 year-old Dina Gapipova with What If, a power-ballad with a message of unity, competing for the win in Malmo with an official Contest theme of "We Are One." Could we be going back to Russia (this time presumably in St. Petersburg) for the Contest next year?
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