Valery Gergiev — a close ally and propagandist of Vladimir Putin, who supported the annexation of Crimea — has been banned from performing at Western venues since 2022. Now, shockingly, he has been invited to perform in Italy on 27 July. We believe this is unacceptable. FBK is urging the event organizers and the Italian authorities to cancel the concert of Putin’s friend and longtime campaign surrogate.

FBK has sent four official letters: To Italy’s Ministry of Culture, requesting the cancellation of Gergiev’s performance at the festival; To the Orchestra Filarmonica “Giuseppe Verdi” di Salerno, asking them to withdraw from the event; To the Reggia di Caserta palace, urging them not to host Putin’s representative; To Italy’s Ministry of the Interior, asking them to deny Gergiev entry into the country, as his support for the dictator responsible for the largest war in Europe since WWII poses a threat to Italy’s security.

Italy’s Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, expressed support for cancelling the concert. His statement was published by the Italian news agency Ansa:

“Culture is free and should not be censored. But propaganda, even if skillfully executed, is something entirely different. That’s why the concert of Putin’s friend and advisor, Valery Gergiev — organised, commissioned, and funded by the Campania regional government at the Reggia di Caserta — risks sending the wrong signal.”

The Gergiev scandal has dominated the Italian press, with consensus across the board: an agent of Putin, whose job is to whitewash a war criminal and brutal dictator, must not be allowed to perform at the festival.

Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, also condemned the invitation:

“It surprises me quite a bit. Especially since Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly supports Ukraine. It would send a fatal signal, because Gergiev is a tool of Putin. There’s no doubt about that. When local officials claim this is a cultural exchange, even indirectly financed with EU funds, even though the alliance is against Russia, I can only repeat: This is cultural propaganda in Putin’s name. And it must be stopped. The EU Parliament seems to take a similar view, as we hear.”

Gelb described the invitation as “moral corruption, weakness, and possibly naivety.” He noted that the Metropolitan Opera severed ties with Gergiev back in 2020, citing the conductor’s political entanglements and declining artistic performance.

The European Commission has also affirmed that cultural programmes must not undermine the international response to Putin’s aggression.

Our demands remain clear:

▪️ Cancel Valery Gergiev’s concert in Italy

▪️ Add Gergiev to international sanctions lists

▪️ Strip him of international awards

▪️ Prevent him from profiting in the West

Europe is no stage for Putin’s agents.