After lengthy discussions and protests in Milan, decisive actions by the Ukrainian artistic community, and criticism from politicians, activists and even the Italian Minister of Culture, the Reggia di Caserta Palace cancelled the concert of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. This was reported by the Italian media outlet ANSA.
The administration of the Royal Palace in Caserta has cancelled a symphony concert led by Valery Gergiev, which was to take place as part of the Un'Estate da RE festival on 27 July. The presence of the Russian conductor, who has been criticised for his support of the Russian president, caused heated debate and fears among the event organisers of possible protests before or even during the concert.
Earlier, representatives of European institutions, the World Congress of Ukrainians, as well as Ukrainian artists and performers had opposed Gergiev's participation. Vice-President of the European Parliament Pina Picherno openly condemned the conductor's planned performance. Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli also criticised the upcoming concert.
On 19 July, a protest was held in Milan to demand the concert be cancelled. ‘He is not just a conductor, he embodies Putin's dictatorship, a regime that has been sowing death, suffering and violating human rights for decades, not only in Russia but also in neighbouring countries,’ the organisers said.
About 40 organisations of Ukrainians from Italy, Poland, Canada and other countries also demanded the cancellation of the concert. In a joint statement, they stressed that Gergiev's participation in the festival was an attempt to disguise political support for the Putin regime under the guise of a cultural event.
Ukrainian associations in Italy were ready to organise protests and had already purchased tickets to the front rows of the concert to express their protest to Gergiev up close.
Valery Gergiev is one of Russia's most influential cultural figures and a long-time ally of Vladimir Putin. In 2012, the conductor appeared in Putin's election campaign, and in 2014 he publicly supported the annexation of Crimea. In 2016, he held a ‘patriotic’ concert in Palmyra, Syria, after Russian troops helped Bashar al-Assad's regime regain control of the city.
After Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine began in 2022, Gergiev refused to condemn the invasion. This led to a series of breaks with leading cultural institutions - he was fired from Milan's La Scala theatre. Since then, he has not performed in Europe.