Overview

• Un’Estate da Re festival near Caserta announced on July 21 that Valeri Guerguiev’s July 27 symphony performance has been called off following broad criticism of his pro-Putin stance.
• Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli welcomed the organizers’ “free decision” as a measure to safeguard democratic values against potential Russian propaganda.
• Valeri Guerguiev, who leads both the Mariinsky Theatre and the Bolshoi Theatre, said he was not notified in advance of the cancellation.
• Russian Ambassador Aleksei Paramonov condemned the move as politicized cultural censorship and accused Italy of yielding to Ukrainian pressure.
• Navalny’s FBK sent letters last week to Italy’s culture and interior ministers demanding the concert’s cancellation as part of broader cultural sanctions against Kremlin allies.