ud m ila ▁Is akov ich . ▁Cou ple ▁together ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁However , ▁officially ▁relations ▁were ▁registered ▁only ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁artist ' s ▁wife ▁lives ▁in ▁Miami . ▁ ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁The ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁never ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est , ▁but ▁it ▁made ▁several ▁attempts ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Edu ard ▁F omin , ▁a ▁former ▁employee ▁of ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Education ▁of ▁the ▁R S FS R , ▁revealed ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁George ▁V es el ov , ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Education ▁for ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁brought ▁forward ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁Soviet ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁political ▁re forms ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁General ▁Secretary ▁Mik h ail ▁G orb ache v ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁The ▁idea ▁was ▁mainly ▁a ▁political ▁one , ▁with ▁the ▁thought ▁that ▁a ▁win ▁in ▁the ▁contest ▁for ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁would ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁relationships ▁between ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁capital ist ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁west . ▁Val ery ▁Le ont iev ▁was ▁suggested ▁as ▁a ▁singer ▁for ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁first ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁contest , ▁but ▁V es el ov ' s ▁ideas ▁were ▁not ▁shared ▁by ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet