Conchita Wurst came third in Russia's public Eurovision vote
Austria's drag artist also placed second in Armenia and fourth in Belarus
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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Conchita Wurst’s triumphant Eurovision win on Saturday has been dubbed “the end of Europe” by one outspoken Russian politician, but it seems the Austrian drag artist’s performance was enjoyed by many of the country’s voters.
For the first time this year, a breakdown of who the public and juries chose as their favourites has been released and, according to The Week, Russians ranked Wurst third.
As the results came in during the live show, she received five points, meaning that it was the judges who marked her down, as the two results are averaged.
The “Rise Like A Phoenix” singer, real name Tom Neuwirth, came second out of 26 in the Armenian public vote, with Belarus placing her in fourth.
Perhaps these results are less surprising, however, as Wurst herself has said that "eighty per cent of autograph requests come from Russia and eastern Europe".
Before the song contest, petitions in the aforementioned three nations had called for “pervert” Wurst to be edited out of state broadcasts as she would “insult millions”.
Even Armenia’s entry, Aram MP3 said the bearded Wurst’s lifestyle was “not natural” and she should “decide whether she is a woman or a man”.
So, when Wurst was crowned victor, she took the opportunity to stand up for gay rights in the face of her homophobic critics, in front of an estimated 180 million viewers.
“This is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom,” she said, in tears. “We are unity, and we are unstoppable.”
Russia, who were loudly booed as they phoned in with their results, responded to Wurst’s win with anticipated outrage.
“It has turned wild,” said parliamentarian Vladimir Zhirinovsky. “There are no men or women in Europe, just it.”
President Vladimir Putin’s vice premier Dmitry Rogozin also posted his reaction on Twitter, claiming that Wurst’s win “showed the eurointegrators their europerspective – a bearded girl”.
Speaking at a post-Eurovision press conference, Wurst said: “I really dream of a world where we don’t have to talk about unnecessary things like sexuality, where you’re from or who you love. This is not what it’s all about.”
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