The Country Sounds: New music contest to celebrate Russia’s many languages

The initiative aims to showcase the country’s cultural diversity, the organizers say

A nationwide contest for music videos in the languages of Russia’s ethnic groups is being launched to give regional performers a broader platform while helping to promote and preserve the country’s cultural heritage. 

The ‘Strana zvuchit’ (The Country Sounds) contest is being organized by RU.TV music channel, part of the Russian Media Group. It will kick off on July 1 as part of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and is open to artists who use their native languages, local traditions, and regional cultural heritage in their work. 

The project aims to bring together performers from different regions and introduce a wider audience to the musical styles of Russia’s many peoples.

Although Russian is the country’s only official language at the federal level, around 155 distinct languages are spoken across Russia, according to the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 

Russia has more than 190 ethnic groups and 89 regions, each with its own traditions and musical styles, Russian Media Group CEO Lyubov Malyarevskaya said. 

She described the contest as a way to show “how diverse and multifaceted” the country’s musical landscape is, and said the organizers want to support performers who work with their native languages and traditions.

“Music remains a universal language that can unite people regardless of region, nationality, or cultural background,” the organizers said, adding that Russia is a multinational country, “united by shared values, history, and a common cultural code.”

Entrants will be invited to submit music videos in the languages of Russia’s ethnic groups that reflect the character, traditions, and identity of their home regions. The organizers say one of the aims is to show that preserving cultural heritage and developing a contemporary music industry can go hand in hand. 

The contest will run in several stages. After applications are reviewed and an initial selection is made, the best videos will be presented to viewers. The winner will be chosen through a public vote, with the top video receiving rotation on RU.TV.