Overview

• The Reggia di Caserta announced on July 21 that the July 27 concert had been called off without providing any reason.
• Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Italian authorities of caving to Ukrainian lobbying and enforcing discriminatory cancel culture.
• Italian politicians, MEPs and anti-Kremlin activists had protested Gergiev’s support for President Vladimir Putin and his refusal to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Valery Gergiev, who directs both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres, was previously removed from Milan’s La Scala in 2022 for similar Kremlin-aligned positions.
• The venue has not yet appointed a replacement conductor for the performance originally scheduled for this weekend.