Overview
- Valery Gergiev is scheduled to perform on July 27 at the Un’Estate da Re festival in the Reggia di Caserta, financed by the Campania region.
- Yulia Navalnaya denounced Gergiev as a promoter of Putin’s criminal policies and published a letter urging Italians to reconsider his invitation.
- European Parliament vice president Pina Picierno and a European Commission spokesperson urged Campania to remove a sanctioned Putin ally from its lineup.
- Culture minister Alessandro Giuli warned the concert risks serving as a vehicle for Russian propaganda even as he affirmed artistic freedom.
- Governor Vincenzo De Luca rejected calls for cancellation, framing the event as essential to maintaining dialogue and cultural independence.