Russians shave off beards to protest against Conchita Wurst

Russian men are shaving off their beards in some sort of protest against Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst. Prior to the Austrian drag queen’s winning moment, several countries launched campaigns to boycott the competition if she took part. The Russian petition attracted over 23,000 signatures, and social media groups calling for the bearded lady to be barred from the competition gained over 40,000 fans. And after Wurst’s victory on Saturday (10 May), a backlash spread on Russian social media. Some of the more high-profile names include broadcaster Andrei Malakhov and rapper Alexander Stepanov, better known as ST. On Instagram, ST challenged his followers to ‘prove they’re not Conchita’ by shaving off their facial hair. A Twitter user (pictured), said: ‘Saturday was the last day when a beard would make you more manly.’ Others have taken the opportunity to mock Austria for choosing Wurst in the first place. Some social media users tweeted pictures of her alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, showing how Austria has fallen so far in terms of masculinity. But it isn't everyone. After all, Russia awarded the Austrian singer five points in the public vote at the contest. Wurst’s winning song Rise Like A Phoenix is currently sitting at the top of the iTunes chart in Russia, seven places above Russia’s own entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. As she arrived home in Vienna, Wurst said she would continue to promote tolerance. She said: ‘This will remain an issue for a long time and I fear I won't see the end of it in my lifetime. It will be my life's worth and I gladly take it on’. ‘It was not just a victory for me but a victory for those people who believe in a future that can function without discrimination and is based on tolerance and respect’.