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Alexei Nikolsky / RIA-Novosti
Putin dropping in on a rehearsal Saturday by the Azeri duo AySel and Arash.
The contest was earlier given the seal of approval by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who made a surprise visit to the Olimpiisky Sports Complex on Saturday and dropped in on a rehearsal by the Azeri duo AySel and Arash.
Putin toured the press center and then walked on stage. In a photo sent by the band, Putin is shown shaking the hand of singer Arash, who is wearing ripped jeans and still holding a microphone.
"I was so nervous that I accidentally called Putin 'Mr. President,'" Arash said by e-mail. "But I hope that Vladimir Vladimirovich will forgive me this slip and send a text message [vote] for us."
Putin may have already promised his Eurovision vote elsewhere, however. He met the composer of the British entry, Andrew Lloyd Webber, in November and said he was "ready" to vote for Britain.
The opening party at the Central Manezh Exhibition Center on Sunday began with delegations from the 43 countries making their way up a red carpet, waving their respective national flags.
Mayor Yury Luzhkov then gave an opening speech in his characteristic barnstorming style, shouting and waving his arms as he declared the contest -- "the world's greatest holiday of song" -- officially open.
The contest's chief organizer from the European Broadcasting Union, Svante Stockselius, then gave a speech calling the Moscow preparations "overwhelming."
The emcees for the event were Channel One host Andrei Malakhov, resplendent in a tight white suit, and pop star Alsou, who seemed a little uncomfortable and kept looking at her script.
Malakhov will host the semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday with Natalia Vodianova, a Russian-born top model, while Alsou will host the final on Saturday with Ivan Urgant, a comedian and Channel One talk show host.
The ceremony kept speeches to a minimum and moved swiftly onto the music. Introduced as "Russia's king of pop," Kirkorov bounded on stage in a leather suit and performed two disco numbers.
His act culminated with dancers whipping out ostrich feather fans and burying Kirkorov in a cloud of fluttering feathers.
Next on stage was the first-ever Eurovision winner, Swiss singer Lys Assia, who looked spry in a sparkly trouser suit. She was followed by Israeli transsexual Dana International in a skin-tight satin dress. The Israeli singer's 1998 Eurovision winner "Diva" is still a radio favorite in Russia, as are the songs of the follow-up act, Germany disco group Genghis Khan, which roared out its 1979 hit "Moskau."
The show was closed by Russian acts t.A.T.u., last year's winner Dima Bilan and this year's contestant, Anastasia Prikhodko, as well as rock band Gorky Park.
Full dress rehearsals began Monday in preparation for the semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday and the final on Saturday.
