Italy Cancels Russian Conductor Gergiev Concert Amid Backlash

Italy canceled a classical concert featuring Russian conductor Valery Gergiev at the UNESCO World Heritage site Reggia di Caserta amid widespread criticism over his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and support for Russia's military aggression in Ukraine. The event, organized by the Campania region and initially defended by its president Vincenzo De Luca, faced backlash from politicians, activists, and the Ukrainian community in Italy, who viewed Gergiev as a promoter of Russian propaganda and called the concert a political affront to victims of the conflict. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli distinguished between artistic freedom and propaganda, asserting that while art cannot be censored, Gergiev's concert risked sending the wrong message and serving as propaganda. The cancellation was praised by many, including European Parliament vice-president Pina Picierno and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who criticized Gergiev as an accomplice of Putin. Critics highlighted Russia's use of culture as a tool to spread its narrative and condemned hosting such a figure at a historic site dedicated to cultural heritage and peace. The controversy underscored the tension between cultural independence and political accountability in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.