Overview
- In an op-ed for La Repubblica Yulia Navalnaya warned that featuring Gergiev would normalize Vladimir Putin’s regime and advance Kremlin soft power.
- Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has written to the interior and culture ministries urging them to deny entry to Valery Gergiev and scrap the concert.
- Gergiev is scheduled to lead the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra at the Reggia di Caserta palace near Naples on July 27.
- Campania regional president Vincenzo De Luca defended the event as essential for maintaining cultural dialogue even with political adversaries.
- Italy’s Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Culture have declined to comment on the invitation and ongoing protests.