A planned performance by the renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev on July 27 as part of the „Un'estate da Re“ festival in the magnificent Reggia di Caserta has triggered a nationwide controversy in Italy. Gergiev, who is known for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been the subject of international criticism since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been shunned by numerous Western cultural institutions.
The invitation of the conductor, who is to lead the Filarmonica del Teatro G. Verdi di Salerno and soloists from the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, meets with fierce resistance from politicians and activists.
Sharp criticism from Yulia Navalnaya and Italian politics
Particularly harsh comments were made by Yulia Navalnayathe widow of the deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. In a commentary in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica she described Gergiev as a "conscious and active accomplice of the Putin regime" and warned against dismissing the performance as a mere cultural event without a political dimension. Navalnaya sees it as a "test balloon" for the normalization of Putin's war and regime in Europe.
Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli intervened in the debate. Although he did not call for the concert to be canceled directly, he warned that the event could "send the wrong message" and risk becoming a "sound backdrop for Russian propaganda".
Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno (Partito Democratico), directly called on the President of the Campania region, Vincenzo De Luca, to change the program. She criticized that it was "unacceptable that European funds support the performance of a Kremlin sympathizer." The majority of the festival is financed by the Campania region with cohesion funds from the European Union.
Supporters emphasize artistic freedom and dialogue
On the other hand, some voices defend Gergiev's performance in the name of artistic freedom and dialog. The regional president Vincenzo De Luca himself had justified the invitation of Gergiev and the Israeli conductor Daniel Oren last week by saying that he wanted to "keep channels of communication open, even with those who don't think like us". There were also voices from the ranks of the Fratelli d'Italia, the ruling party, who condemned a ban as "unthinkable" and "absurd" and described Gergiev as "simply a great artist".
Gergiev's controversial past and international reactions
Valery Gergiev has hit the headlines several times in the past because of his closeness to Putin. He supported the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and did not distance himself from Putin's policies even after the attack on Ukraine in 2022. As a result, numerous renowned Western cultural institutions, including the Munich Philharmonic, La Scala in Milan and New York's Carnegie Hall, ended their collaboration with him. Some activists also accuse him of using his position for Putin's "soft power" policy and of diverting funds from his foundation for personal purposes, which he denies.
The case in Caserta highlights the complex tension between art, politics and morality in times of international conflict. Italy, which supports Ukraine and the sanctions against Moscow, is now faced with the challenge of finding a balance between cultural exchange and avoiding a potential propaganda platform.
