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Calls grow to cancel Putin-linked maestro Gergiev’s concert in Italy

Valery Gergiev attends a session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022 in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Photo via Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images)
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Valery Gergiev attends a session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022 in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Photo via Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images)
July 18, 2025 11:08 AM GMT+03:00

World-renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, known for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is set to conduct a concert in Italy at the end of July, sparking controversy.

Yuliya Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny—who died in prison in Russia in 2024—gave a statement to the Italian press, calling for the concert’s cancellation.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli also stated that the concert could carry a “risk of propaganda.” Representatives from various opposition parties in the country also expressed that the event should be cancelled.

However, Vincenzo De Luca, head of the Campania Regional Administration and one of the organizers of the concert, opposed these calls. De Luca said, “We are the only ones who have been fighting for a cease-fire for years in a climate where everyone remains silent. Frankly, those who have the least right to speak are the ones who do not say a word about the genocide of children in Gaza.”

July 18, 2025 11:08 AM GMT+03:00
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