Italy cancels concert by Putin ally Gergiev

Kremlin critics laud the decision, arsenic Moscow’s ambassador to Italy decries a ‘scandalous situation’.

Italy’s Royal Palace of Caserta has announced it cancelled a performance by Russian maestro Valery Gergiev, a vocal backer of President Vladimir Putin, aft an uproar from politicians and Kremlin critics.

The performance scheduled for Sunday successful the 18th-century palace adjacent Naples caused a heated statement successful Italy, was slammed by Ukraine and led to calls for protests by Russia’s exiled opposition.

Gergiev has not condemned Moscow’s penetration of Ukraine, a stance for which helium was fired from the Munich Philharmonic successful March 2022. He has since been shunned by the West and has not played concerts successful Europe.

Days of uncertainty implicit the performance ended with the abrupt announcement connected Monday.

“The directorate of the Royal Palace of Caserta has ordered the cancellation of the symphony performance conducted by Valery Gergiev, scheduled arsenic portion of the Un’Estate da Re festival for July 27,” said a Caserta palace statement.

It gave nary authoritative crushed for the decision.

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of precocious Russian absorption person Alexey Navalny, lauded the announcement arsenic “good news”.

“No creator who supports the existent dictatorship successful Russia should beryllium welcomed successful Europe,” Navalnaya wrote connected X.

Navalnaya’s squad had campaigned against the performance and said successful a statement: “Putin’s pals should not beryllium touring Europe similar thing happened.”

Russia’s authorities TASS quality bureau said the 72-year-old maestro was not informed of the decision, quoting Gergiev arsenic saying: “I bash not person this information.”

‘Scandalous situation’

Gergiev is the manager of Russia’s Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres, and earlier the 2022 penetration of Ukraine, helium regularly played successful starring Western theatres.

While Kremlin critics lauded the cancellation, Moscow’s ambassador to Italy called it a “scandalous situation” that was portion of Western politicians’ “policy of ‘cancelling’ Russian culture”.

In a connection connected the embassy’s Facebook page, Alexei Paramonov said it was “sad” to ticker Italy “subordinate its taste argumentation to the demands of Ukrainians and different immigrants”.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli – who had warned that the performance risked turning into a propaganda lawsuit – said the cancellation was “common sense” and aimed astatine “protecting the values of the escaped world”.

Ukraine connected Sunday urged organisers to driblet the performance, calling Gergiev “Putin’s mouthpiece” who should not beryllium welcomed anyplace “as agelong arsenic Russian forces proceed to perpetrate atrocities” successful Ukraine.

Recognised arsenic 1 of the world’s starring orchestra leaders, Gergiev is known for conducting epic symphonies of Russian classical euphony by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, among different successes successful Western opera houses.

The conductor has stayed soundless connected Russia’s penetration of Ukraine and mostly retired of the nationalist oculus since 2022, but has played concerts successful Asia.