Recognized Russian director Valery Gergiev

Rome – A classical music concert in Italy has been canceled suddenly after a public reaction on the support of the Russian director for President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian teacher Valery Gergiev had been scheduled to direct a set of Italian musicians and soloists of the Mariunsky theater in St. Petersburg, where he is the artistic director, on July 27 at Reggia Di Caserta, an opulent palace of the 18th century near Naples.

Italy’s National News Agency, Ansa, said the place had canceled the concert, not offering any explanation. A Reggia Di Caserta representative confirmed the cancellation to News themezone by phone.

The measure occurred after the criticisms of Italian legislators, defenders of Russian human rights and political dissidents.

Among the most vowel opponents of Italy, welcoming Gergiev was Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late leader of the Russian opposition, Alexey Navalny. She condemned Gergiev’s public support to Kremlin and accused the director of using her platform to legitimize the current war in Russia in Ukraine.

In a message posted on social networks, Navalnaya called News of the cancellation, “not cheerful, but well.”

“No artist who supports the current dictatorship in Russia should be welcome in Europe. It is precisely thanks to the loyal ones of the regime as Gergiev that Putin tries to promote his image as a” respectable person “in the West,” he said. “It is a small step, but large victories are built from small steps.”

Gergiev, Once praised in the west As the “wild man of music,” has become a controversial figure in recent years, particularly in Europe, where a variety of institutions have tried to distance themselves from artists aligned with the Russian government.

Gergiev’s refusal to denounce the invasion of Ukraine of Russia has cost him the commitments in other first -level places, including New York Carnegie Hall and the Philharmonic of Munich of Germany, where he previously served as the main director.

The cancellation caused strong criticisms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, which on Wednesday accused Italy of cultural censorship and said that the measure was the result of the Ukrainian pressure.

“We strongly condemn such discriminatory attempts to” cancel the culture ‘, carried out by the Italian authorities, “said the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Maria Zakharova, in a statement, accusing Italy of demolishing the pressure of Ukraine.

Italian officials did not immediately comment on cancellation.

• War
• Italy
• Ukraine
• Russia
• Music
• Vladimir Putin
• European Union