The decision reflects growing sentiments against Gergiev, a supporter of President Putin, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
**Valery Gergiev's Concert Canceled in Italy Amid Human Rights Outcry**
**Valery Gergiev's Concert Canceled in Italy Amid Human Rights Outcry**
Organizers of a music festival in Italy have called off a concert featuring Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after facing backlash from critics of the Kremlin.
The organizers of the Un'Estate da RE festival in Italy have made a significant decision to cancel a concert featuring Valery Gergiev, a conductor closely associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following a surge of criticism from human rights activists and Kremlin opponents. The 72-year-old Gergiev was set to lead an Italian orchestra along with soloists from St Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theatre in a performance scheduled for later this month at the historical Royal Palace of Caserta near Naples.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gergiev has been largely barred from Western performance venues due to his alignment with Putin’s regime, which he has conspicuously chosen not to denounce. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the cancellation as an act of "common sense" that aligns with the "values of the free world,'' highlighting Italy's stance against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine's government had previously called for the concert to be scrapped, condemning Gergiev as "Putin’s mouthpiece" and asserting that he should not be welcomed anywhere as long as Russian military actions continue to precipitate human rights violations. The widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, welcomed the cancellation, stating that no artist supporting "the current dictatorship" in Russia deserves acceptance in Europe.
While Gergiev once graced the stages of many prestigious Western venues, including Milan's La Scala and New York's Carnegie Hall, the Russian ambassador to Italy panned the cancellation, branding it a "scandalous situation" indicative of a larger "policy of 'cancelling' Russian culture." The controversy surrounding Gergiev's involvement deepened as Italy hosted various European heads of state in a show of solidarity for Ukraine's recovery efforts following the war.
This incident highlights a broader debate in the arts about the intersection of politics and performance, as European leaders navigate the complexities of cultural engagement amid geopolitical tensions.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gergiev has been largely barred from Western performance venues due to his alignment with Putin’s regime, which he has conspicuously chosen not to denounce. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the cancellation as an act of "common sense" that aligns with the "values of the free world,'' highlighting Italy's stance against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine's government had previously called for the concert to be scrapped, condemning Gergiev as "Putin’s mouthpiece" and asserting that he should not be welcomed anywhere as long as Russian military actions continue to precipitate human rights violations. The widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, welcomed the cancellation, stating that no artist supporting "the current dictatorship" in Russia deserves acceptance in Europe.
While Gergiev once graced the stages of many prestigious Western venues, including Milan's La Scala and New York's Carnegie Hall, the Russian ambassador to Italy panned the cancellation, branding it a "scandalous situation" indicative of a larger "policy of 'cancelling' Russian culture." The controversy surrounding Gergiev's involvement deepened as Italy hosted various European heads of state in a show of solidarity for Ukraine's recovery efforts following the war.
This incident highlights a broader debate in the arts about the intersection of politics and performance, as European leaders navigate the complexities of cultural engagement amid geopolitical tensions.
