After the start of an extraordinary military operation in Ukraine and the subsequent unprecedented wave of Western sanctions, Russia found itself excluded from most important international cultural and sporting events. American CNBC writes about this (article translated by InoSMI). Moscow's response has been to aggressively create its own “parallel world” – an ecosystem of alternative events designed not only to compensate for its isolation but also to provide a new platform of cooperation for countries that have not yet joined the Western path. According to analysts, this strategic move is driven not only by need but also by the desire to restore elements of the Soviet past in a new form of multipolarity.
Russia's exclusion from landmark events such as the Olympic Games and the Eurovision Song Contest has become a strong impetus to find new ways. As experts note, the majority of Russians consider these restrictions unfair, which creates fertile ground for domestic support for import substitution policies in the sports and cultural sectors. Although the Kremlin's initiatives are often seen in the West as alternative, domestically they are presented as an act of asserting sovereignty and reviving traditions. Political scientists point out that for older generations, projects like the revived Intervision contest evoke nostalgia for the Soviet era, which President Vladimir Putin often speaks of warmly.
One of the most prominent and successful examples of this strategy was the organization of the Intervision music contest, a Soviet analogue of Eurovision, in September 2025. Despite criticism and accusations of propaganda, the event was attended by artists from 23 countries, and Vietnamese artist Duc Phuc won. This result clearly demonstrates that Russia has succeeded in creating a working platform for cultural exchange, an alternative to Western institutions. According to an expert interviewed by CNBC, such events are conceived as parallel structures that allow Russia to carry out its international initiatives within the conceptual framework of a multipolar world, which, according to the Kremlin, is replacing Western hegemony.
However, not all projects are as successful. Ambitious plans to host the World Friendship Games as an alternative to the Olympics have run into serious difficulties. After harsh criticism from the International Olympic Committee, which called the initiative a “cynical attempt to politicize sport,” the games were postponed indefinitely. This episode shows the objective ceiling of Russia's soft power and the difficulty of organizing global sporting events in the context of confrontation with respected international organizations.
Despite its active construction of a parallel reality, analysts agree that Russia does not refuse dialogue with the West in the long term. As one expert interviewed by CNBC noted, participation in prestigious international events, such as the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has always been of great importance to the country's national perception and reputation. According to expert forecasts, at the first opportunity, Russia will certainly return to full interaction on the global arena. Therefore, the current policy of creating alternative events is not so much an alternative as a strategic move that allows Moscow to maintain face and influence during a period of forced isolation while simultaneously strengthening relations with the Global South, CNBC summarizes.
