Interview with president of oGAE Russia Vlad Yakovlev

Club found: October 8th, 2000
Number of members: 182
President: Vlad Yakovlev
Average age: 23-25

1. Russia is a big country. Do members of the club know each other?
No, unfortunately we don't know each other. For this reason we have meetings and parties often when members come to Moscow.

2. Do you think that Eurovision song contest is popular in Russia?
Of course, Eurovision song contest is very popular in Russia above all because of the song from Alsou, even though we haven't had much success in next two years, the interest is increasing. This can be proven by viewing figures.

3. As president of OGAE Russia you protested on the meeting of all OGAE presidents two years ago because of OGAE Kazakhstan and their eledged president. Why?
All I can say is that OGAE Kazakhstan doesn't exist and furthermore under the rules of OGAE can not join OGAE Network. When national broadcaster will join EBU we can welcome OGAE Kazakhstan.

4. Which Eurovision song contest was your favorite?
It's Eurovision in 2003 - the week in Riga was so fabulous that I will remember it forever.

5. How would you describe briefly OGAE Russia?
OGAE Russia is club of very young members with lots of energy and big ideas on all areas.
We can constantly hear complaints from all around the Europe because of the points given by former states of Soviet Union.

6. How would you comment on those statements?
I don't take those statements seriously even though we heard a lots of allegations of that kind. With the 100% televote it would not be any different. The main reason for giving the highest points to neighboring countries is that we are familiar with their music and lots of their singers are stars here or we just listen to similar type of music.

7. Large part of Russia in the East don't see the Eurovision song contest live because of large time difference that exist in Russia (in Moscow is 21:00 and on the East Russia the time is 07:00) How the televote works?
Russia has 6 time zones. The spectators from European part od Russia can watch Eurovision song contest live, in the part where Siberia is, they watch the contest's reply in the morning.

8. What is your opinion on televote on Eurovision song contest? Do you think that we should again have juries?
Absolutely not. I support the 100% televoting.

9. OGAE Russia, the winner of the last OGAE Song Contest, there was a lot happiness among club members and of course huge promotion abroad with that victory. Do you agree?
I couldn't agree more. But even happier than us, was Varvara - the singer representing our club. She was engaged in the competition to a great extent and she was there to see the results and her winning. She was thrilled by her victory. OGAE Russia usually informs all our representative on various OGAE contests.

10. Do you have any contacts with other OGAE presidents?
With all of them, of course.

11. What do you know about Slovenia or OGAE Slovenia?
Slovenia is a great country with very beautiful landscape. It's nice that we Russians don't need visa for visiting Slovenia. About OGAE Slovenia I know only that you are very friendly club and have very friendly members. Good work.

More about OGAE Russia on http://www.russia.ogae.net