Bulgaria's victory at Eurovision has raised many questions in Ukrainian society due to songwriter Dimitris Kontopoulos's ties to the Russian show business. After the song contest final, social media users drew attention to his long-term collaboration with Russian singer Philip Kirkorov and his involvement in preparing Russian contestants for Eurovision in previous years, UNN reports.
Details
According to open-source information on social media, Kontopoulos has repeatedly worked with Russian Eurovision participants and Philip Kirkorov. In particular, together with the latter, Kontopoulos wrote the song "Shine," with which the Tolmachevy Sisters represented Russia at Eurovision 2014.
Dimitris Kontopoulos, along with Philip Kirkorov, was also among the authors of the song "You Are the Only One," which Sergey Lazarev performed for Russia at Eurovision 2016.
In addition, in 2019, Lazarev again represented Russia with the composition "Scream," whose authors also included Kontopoulos and Kirkorov.
Additional Information
Furthermore, according to information circulating on social media, Kontopoulos continued to visit Moscow even after 2022. Specifically, users pointed to his Instagram stories from October 19, 2025, featuring a performance by Sergey Lazarev and Philip Kirkorov at the Live Arena in Moscow, where Kirkorov even greeted the composer, who was present in the hall, from the stage.
What you need to know about Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece, on November 9, 1971. He is a composer, songwriter, and music producer, primarily known for several hits for Eurovision contestants from Greece, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
He began writing music for Greek pop artists in late 1999. In 2000, the composer founded his own recording studio, VOX Recording Studios, in Athens.
In 2003, he participated in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, writing the song "Mia Stigmi" for performer Giannis Vardis.
Thanks to his friendly ties with Philip Kirkorov, Dimitris Kontopoulos became involved in Eurovision again in 2005. He wrote the song "Shadows" for Russian singer Anastasia Stotskaya; however, the composition did not win the Russian national selection, finishing in third place.
In 2006, when Greece hosted Eurovision following Helena Paparizou's victory with "My Number One" in Kyiv, Kontopoulos tried to enter the contest again through the Greek selection. He created the song "Welcome To The Party" for Anna Vissi.
It is worth noting that in 2008–2009, Ani Lorak worked on the album "Solntse" (Sun) at VOX Recording Studios. Dimitris Kontopoulos was the songwriter and producer of this album, while Philip Kirkorov served as the executive producer.
The composer is known to be married with two children, but he avoids public appearances and almost never gives interviews.
Context
In 2026, Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Singer DARA secured the victory with the song "Bangaranga." The performer, who appeared in the contest final on stage in Vienna, outpaced her competitors, scoring 516 points (204 from the jury and 312 from the televote). This is one of the highest results in the history of the contest.
The winning song was written for her by Anne Judith Stokke Wik, Darina Yotova, Dimitris Kontopoulos, and Monoir.
In turn, Ukraine's representative at the song contest—performer LELÉKA—took 9th place. She received 221 points.
Reminder
Another major scandal has erupted around Eurovision 2026. The song contest's Executive Supervisor, Martin Green, suggested a potential return for Russia if its broadcaster proves independence from the Kremlin. British politicians have already labeled such a statement as "moral cowardice."