Russia Is Victorious in Eurovision Song Contest

For the first time since its beginning in 1956, Russia has taken home a victory in the Eurovision song contest. 26-year-old Dima Bilan sang the winning song, "Believe." Russian president Dmitry Medvedev was reported to have called Bilan shortly after his victory to congratulate the singer for such a tremendous win for his country.

Russia's victory did not come without controversy. The highly touted German group No Angels and the British entrant Andy Abraham finished very poorly. Eastern European nations have been accused of voting as a bloc in order to shut Western European nations out of the glory of winning the contest.

British Eurovision TV host Terry Wogan said the event was "no longer a musical contest" and openly suggested Western European nations no longer participate. Wogan has covered the competition for 35 years, and his cynical wit has become legend. The controversy has arisen due to the strong success of Eastern European nations in recent years and a suggestion that political alliances trump concerns about artistic merit.

_{Photo by Dave Hogan / Getty Images}

Watch Dima Bilan perform "Believe."