26.05.2012 ✍ Parvin Alizada

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Today Baku holds the Finals of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The competition during Semi finals was severe and some last minute problems turned out unavoidable. For instance, three of “Buranovskie Babushki”, participants from Russia, have almost lost their unique shoes.

Buranovskie Babushki, author: Лариса Горбунова, source: Wikimedia Commons

From the first day of the competition, foreign journalists have been literally hunting for details of regarding dresses of the Russian representatives Buranovskie Babushki (in English: Grannies/Babushkas from the Buranovo village), offering fabulous sums for even a part of them. They have been particularly interested in Babushki`s traditional necklaces and bast shoes.

It was a close call, for the loss almost ended in an international scandal. According to news later leaked out, on the eve of the first Semifinal someone from the staff of Eurovision Contest told members of Buranovskie Babushki, stationed in the Sea Breeze Resort mansion in the village of Nardaran, 30 kilometres from Baku, that German journalists had been seem literally guarding the door of their dressing room. When the Russian group went out, Germans asked to show them their national dress – in particular lapti (traditional “bast” shoes) – for TV shooting. The Babushki agreed and began to describe in details the shoes and how they had been made. While the Germans were carefully studying the complicated structure of lapti, Babushki, hearing the command “to the places” rushed to the bus, some forgetting their wicker shoes. The journalists thought that the Babushki graciously made their stage shoes a gift. Fortunately, after hearing about the loss of key fragments of the costumes and a following confusion before the Russian performance, the Germans returned the trophy.

Buranovskie Babushki take part in the Saturday Grand Final of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest 2012 starting at 11 pm Moscow time in Baku Crystal Hall. Other finalists are from Lithuania, Bosnia, Serbia, Ukraine, Sweden, Macedonia, Norway, Estonia, Malta, Turkey, Romania, Moldova, Iceland, Hungary, Denmark, Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Azerbaijan.

Source: AZE.az, eurovision.tv