IZHEVSK, May 22 (Itar-Tass) – Russia’s region of Udmurtia, which is located to the west of the Ural Mountains, is getting ready to root for the local group Buranovo Grannies who represent Russia at the Eurovision song contest, which begins in the Azerbaijani capital Baku Tuesday.
Crowds of fans of the outlandish group, which consists of eight rural women 45 to 73 years old, will gather at several specially organized sites equipped with outdoor screens and having mobile stoves.
Buranovo Grannies perform rock and pop hits, as well as the songs written especially for them in their native Udmurt language, which is related to Finnish, Estonian, and Hungarian. In March, they won a national televised contest to represent Russia at the Eurovision’2012 competition.
Officials at the press service of the regional president and government told Itar-Tass fans will have an opportunity to watch the Grannies’ performance in the semi-finals of the competition in the villages of Malaya Purga and Buranovo and in an area adjoining a countryside caf· near Izhevsk where an action in support of the group will be held.
A live broadcast from Baku that is due to begin at 23:00 hours Moscow Standard Time, will bring together the grannies’ fellow-resident in Buranovo, who will come to the courtyard of the village club to cheer for the folk performers who have propelled themselves to international fame over the past several years.
In the village of Malaya Purga, the center of a district of the same name, on the territory of which Buranovo is located, the local municipalities is organizing a general viewing of the broadcasts from Baku for the entire population.
Representatives of the ethnic Azerbaijani community living in Udmurtia and the supporters of the Udmurt ethnic culture and language will gather at the countryside caf· near Izhevsk where a carnival with singing and dancing will be held throughout the night and the early hours of morning.
The visitors will have a fine opportunity to taste perepechi – an Udmurt national dish in the form of a pizza-like open-face pie stuffed with fried mushrooms, onions, minced meat, eggs, and spices. Buranovo Grannies are known to love the dish.
Organizers of the action do not have any doubts that the group from Buranovo will get to the finals of the song contest.
The first semi-final of the contest will be held Tuesday. Buranovo Grannies will appear on the stage of the Baku Crystal Hall under number 14.
The finals, scheduled for May 26, will be broadcast in Izhevsk on a special screen installed on the city’s central square.