{"id":50747,"date":"2025-07-12T21:04:34","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/putins-friend-gergiev-set-to-conduct-as-italy-breaks-ban-on-pro-kremlin-artists\/12\/07\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T21:04:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:04:34","slug":"putins-friend-gergiev-set-to-conduct-as-italy-breaks-ban-on-pro-kremlin-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/putins-friend-gergiev-set-to-conduct-as-italy-breaks-ban-on-pro-kremlin-artists\/12\/07\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Putin&#8217;s friend Gergiev set to conduct as Italy breaks ban on pro-Kremlin artists"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been barred from European stages ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A close ally of Vladimir Putin for many years, the director of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Russian state theatres has never spoken out against the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But a region of southern Italy has now invited Gergiev back to Europe, signalling the artist&#8217;s rehabilitation even as Russia&#8217;s attacks on Ukraine intensify.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Vincenzo de Luca, who runs the Campania region, insists that the concert at the Un&#8217;Estate da RE festival later this month will go ahead despite a growing swell of criticism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Culture\u2026 must not be influenced by politics and political logic,&#8221; De Luca said in a livestream on Friday. &#8220;We do not ask these men to answer for the choices made by politicians.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The 76-year-old local leader has previously called Europe&#8217;s broad veto on pro-Putin artists &#8220;a moment of stupidity \u2013 a moment of madness&#8221; at the start of the war and announced that he was &#8220;proud&#8221; to welcome Gergiev to town.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Russia&#8217;s President Putin (R) pins a medal on conductor Gergiev (L) at the Kremlin in 2016 [Getty Images]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, has told the BBC that allowing Gergiev&#8217;s return is &#8220;absolutely unacceptable&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She calls the star conductor a &#8220;cultural mouthpiece for Putin and his crimes&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ukrainian human rights activist and Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk said the invitation by the regional government was &#8220;hypocrisy&#8221;, rather than neutrality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Russian opposition activists have also condemned the director&#8217;s sudden return. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wants his concert cancelled and is calling on Italy&#8217;s interior ministry to ban Gergiev&#8217;s entry to the country.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Russian conductor Valery Gergiev performs on stage with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/hsRWPbkbrcuoVhnRHWV1kg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/04b8576628ebc427ff4588245e8184de\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Valery Gergiev has been shunned by European orchestras since the full-scale war began [GEORG HOCHMUTH\/APA\/AFP]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Before Russia&#8217;s full-scale war in Ukraine, the virtuoso Gergiev was a regular visitor to stages in Italy and across Europe, despite his closeness to Putin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His long and illustrious career includes stints at the London Symphony Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But the invitations to Europe stopped abruptly on 24 February 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hours before the first Russian missiles were launched at Ukraine, Gergiev was on stage at Milan&#8217;s La Scala opera house. Urged then by the city&#8217;s mayor to speak out against the war, Gergiev chose silence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was promptly dropped from the bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Abandoned by his manager, despite calling Gergiev &#8220;the greatest conductor alive&#8221;, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-60569913?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:he was then fired as chief conductor in Munich;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">he was then fired as chief conductor in Munich<\/a> and removed from concert schedules across the continent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">That&#8217;s why the invitation from Italy is so controversial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pina Picierno, who is from the Campania region herself, says her call to stop the event is not Russophobic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;There is no shortage of brilliant Russian artists who choose to disassociate themselves from Putin&#8217;s criminal policies,&#8221; she told the BBC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The European MP, who says she has received threats for her work exposing Russia&#8217;s hybrid warfare, warns that allowing Gergiev to perform would be both wrong and dangerous.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;This is not about censorship. Gergiev is part of a deliberate Kremlin strategy. He is one of their cultural envoys to soften Western public opinion. This is part of their war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Italy's prime minister stands in the middle wearing a grey jacket and white blouse, while Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska stands to her left in a green coat\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"952\" height=\"535\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/_uqsFo2vuAVrsfwk0cL2vw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUzOTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/324e22c5183b985a635cdde4dc7a7a22\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Italy&#8217;s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (centre) welcomed Ukraine&#8217;s president and first lady to a conference in Rome last week [Pasquale Gargano\/KONTROLAB\/LightRocket via Getty Images]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The cultural controversy erupted in a week when Italy was hosting heads of state from all over Europe to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and discuss how to rebuild the country once the war is over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been a strong and consistent critic of Vladimir Putin from the start. But her culture ministry is one of the backers of Un&#8217;Estate da RE, which has invited Gergiev.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A senior MP from Meloni&#8217;s Brothers of Italy party, Alfredo Antoniozzi, has described Gergiev as &#8220;simply a great artist&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;If Russians have to pay for the mistakes of their president, then we are committing a kind of cultural genocide,&#8221; he argued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Last month, Canada formally barred Gergiev from entry and declared it would freeze any assets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But the European Union has shied away from formal sanctions against the conductor, who has avoided voicing open support for the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Gergiev has been a vocal supporter of Putin since the 1990s, later campaigning for his re-election and backing Russia&#8217;s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was handed management of Moscow&#8217;s Bolshoi Theatre, in addition to the Mariinsky Theatre, taking over from a director who signed an open letter against Russia&#8217;s war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Gergiev is a state employee, but in 2022 an investigation by Alexei Navalny&#8217;s team uncovered properties in several Italian cities that they say he never declared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They also alleged he used donations to a charitable fund to pay for his own lavish lifestyle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The activists argued that was Gergiev&#8217;s reward for his public loyalty to Putin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The BBC has so far been unable to reach the conductor for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A spokeswoman for the European Commission, Eva Hrncirova, has clarified that the Un&#8217;Estate da RE festival is not receiving EU cash: it is financed by Italy&#8217;s own &#8220;cohesion funds&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But she added that the commission urged European stages not to give space &#8220;to artists who support the war of aggression in Ukraine&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In Campania, the artistic director who crafted this year&#8217;s festival programme declined to comment. A spokesman was confident Gergiev&#8217;s performance would go ahead, though \u2013 despite the controversy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; he assured the BBC. &#8220;For sure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Additional reporting from Rome by Davide Ghiglione.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/putins-friend-gergiev-set-conduct-000047872.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been barred from European stages ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A close ally of Vladimir<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/putins-friend-gergiev-set-to-conduct-as-italy-breaks-ban-on-pro-kremlin-artists\/12\/07\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/KkgambJE9jgXLRllGElB.g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02NzU7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/16631ed04fc85169878ebce02c70677e","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50747"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50747\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}