The cancellation of Valery Gergiev’s concert in Italy highlights ongoing tensions regarding Russian cultural figures amid the war in Ukraine, with supporters calling for accountability from those aligned with the Kremlin.
Controversial Concert by Russian Conductor Gergiev Cancelled in Italy
Controversial Concert by Russian Conductor Gergiev Cancelled in Italy
The performance by Valery Gergiev, a prominent ally of Putin, has been scrapped following backlash from human rights advocates and critics of the Kremlin.
Organizers of a music festival in Italy have decided to cancel an upcoming concert featuring Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, following significant pressure from activists and critics of the Kremlin. Gergiev, known for his close ties to President Putin, was slated to conduct an Italian orchestra alongside soloists from the celebrated Mariinsky Theatre at a picturesque venue near Naples later this month.
Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the 72-year-old conductor has faced bans from numerous Western performance venues due to his silence on the conflict. In response to the cancellation, Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli stated that the decision made by the Un'Estate da RE festival organizers was one of "common sense" and served to uphold the “values of the free world.”
Although the Royal Palace of Caserta did not officially elaborate on the concert's cancellation, Ukraine previously urged event organizers to reconsider Gergiev's participation, labeling him "Putin's mouthpiece." Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, expressed her support for the decision, stating, "No artist who supports the current dictatorship in Russia should be welcomed in Europe."
In contrast, Moscow's ambassador to Italy criticized the cancellation as a "scandalous situation," alleging it represents a broader "policy of 'cancelling' Russian culture." Gergiev, who has directed the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters, was once a fixture on prestigious stages around the world, with institutions from Milan's La Scala to Carnegie Hall cutting ties with him following the conflict's escalation.
This controversy surfaced during a week when Italy was hosting various European leaders to affirm their commitment to Ukraine and discuss the rebuilding of the nation post-conflict. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has remained a vocal critic of Putin, yet her culture ministry was involved in supporting the Un'Estate da RE festival, indicating a complex balance between cultural exchange and geopolitical realities.
