With his Eurovision victory Saturday night, Dima Bilan provided the country with its first win in the song contest and his home town in the republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia with a street and a school bearing his name.

Bilan left behind contestants from 24 other countries at the pop extravaganza with the ballad "Believe," backed by Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton and, in a non musical role, Olympic champion figure skater Yevgeny Plyushenko, who pirouetted around him on a small patch of synthetic ice.

Political leaders were quick to praise the victory as important for the country - something that has become a habit in recent weeks. Zenit St. Petersburg won the UEFA Cup football final on May 14, and Russia won the World Ice Hockey Championship four days later, with both victories being treated as signs of the country's resurgence.

President Dmitry Medvedev called Bilan to congratulate him from China, where he was on an official state visit, while Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent a telegram, saying the victory was "not only a personal success for Dima Bilan, but yet another triumph for all of Russia."

Bilan received 272 points in a telephone voting system tabulating calls from voters in 43 countries, ahead of Ukraine's Ani Lorak with 230, and Greece's Kalomira with 218.

Other artists previously representing Russia have included the country's top pop icon, Alla Pugachyova, who took 15th place in 1997, and Bulgarian-born pop star Filipp Kirkorov, Pugachyova's ex-husband, who ranked 17th in 1995. Kirkorov wrote the song performed by Ukraine's Lorak in this year's contest.

Russia will host the contest next year, and Putin immediately instructed Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov to start organizing a committee to prepare for the 2009 event. Bilan's producer Rudkovskaya said that St. Petersburg's Sport and Concert Complex (SKK) could be the venue for the contest next year.