Overview

• Yulia Navalnaya and the Anti-Corruption Foundation formally urged Italian authorities to cancel the July 27 event at the Un’Estate da Re festival, citing Gergiev’s close ties to Vladimir Putin.
• Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli cautioned that the performance risks becoming a “sounding board for Russian propaganda” but declined to block the concert.
• Campania regional president Vincenzo De Luca defended the invitation as essential for maintaining cultural dialogue and rejected calls for cancellation.
• The Caserta concert marks Gergiev’s first appearance in the European Union since Western institutions severed ties with him in 2022 over his refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Critics highlight Gergiev’s leadership of state-run theaters and past “victory concerts” in Georgia and Syria as evidence of his role in advancing Kremlin soft power.