In the interview, the bearded drag artist and winner of 2014's Eurovision Song Contest said that she would like to visit Russia in the near future, and would jump at the chance to spend time with the country's autocratic ruler.
“What does it mean to be Vladimir Putin? What pressure is he under?” she wondered. “At the end of the day, Putin just wants to be respected. This desire for respect unites Putin with minorities.”
"We oppose bearded men in dresses", say these members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Photo: Orthodox Church
Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov reportedly said that a meeting between Wurst and Putin would be impossible at this time.
In May, Russian lawmakers proposed creating their own "straight" version of Eurovision after Europe's premier song competition was won by the bearded Austrian drag queen who promotes gay rights.
Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled parliament picked up on swelling outrage in the socially conservative country at Conchita Wurst's triumph by proposing a Russian-based contest in which family values prevail.
"The last Eurovision contest's results exhausted our patience," Communist Party deputy Valery Rashkin told the Interfax news agency.
"We must leave this competition. We cannot tolerate this endless madness."
Rashkin said he would push for the creation of a "Voice of Eurasia" songfest instead, which would primarily group nations from the former Soviet Union.
Member comments