Russia won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 with Dima Bilan’s song “Believe.”
Bilan performed in Belgrade, Serbia, with the Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton and the Olympic figure skater Evgeni Plushenko. Plushenko skated on a small synthetic-ice platform during the performance, creating one of the contest’s most distinctive stage presentations.
Russia won with 272 points, defeating Ukraine and Greece. “Believe” was performed in English and combined a pop ballad with prominent live performance elements.
This was Dima Bilan’s second Eurovision appearance. He had previously represented Russia in 2006 and finished second with “Never Let You Go.” His 2008 victory gave Russia its first contest win.