Valery Gergiev's Concert Canceled in Italy Amid Criticism Over Ukraine War

Sat Oct 18 2025 09:14:48 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The concert by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, an ally of President Putin, has been called off due to backlash over his ties with the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine.

Valery Gergiev's scheduled concert in Italy has been canceled after significant pressure from human rights advocates and criticism over his support for President Putin. Italian officials regard the decision as a safeguard of cultural values against Russia’s aggression.

The organizers of an upcoming music festival in Italy have decided to cancel a concert featuring Valery Gergiev, a prominent Russian conductor known for his close ties to President Vladimir Putin, after persistent criticism from human rights organizations and Kremlin detractors. Gergiev was slated to lead an Italian orchestra and musicians from the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg in a performance set to take place at a historic royal palace close to Naples later this month. Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gergiev, who has not condemned the war, has been barred from performing in Western venues.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the festival's decision as "common sense," asserting it upholds the "values of the free world." The Royal Palace of Caserta, the venue for the July 27 concert—which was part of a larger music program—did not provide an official rationale for the cancellation. Ukraine's government had previously appealed to festival organizers to withdraw Gergiev from the lineup, identifying him as "Putin's mouthpiece" and stating he should be unwelcome until the war's atrocities cease.

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, expressed approval of the decision on X, stating it was "good news" and added that no artist who endorses Russia's current regime should be celebrated in Europe. In response, Moscow's ambassador to Italy labeled the cancellation a "scandalous situation," framing it as part of a broader agenda to "cancel" Russian culture.

Gergiev, who serves as the director of both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky state theatres, used to perform at leading Western venues until the geopolitical climate changed dramatically with the war in Ukraine. Prestigious institutions including La Scala in Milan, the Munich Philharmonic, and New York's Carnegie Hall have since cut their affiliations with him. The controversy surrounding Gergiev’s planned concert gained traction last week as Italy hosted various European leaders committed to supporting Ukraine and planning post-war reconstruction. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been a staunch critic of Putin from the outset but her culture ministry had also backed the festival.