The prestigious Russian musician Valery Gergiev has become another victim of international political pressure related to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. His planned musical performance in the Naples area was definitively terminated after a large-scale public campaign.
The event organizers received numerous critical signals from various public groups, including Russian opposition activists, emigrants, supporters of Alexei Navalny, Ukrainian representatives, and Italian citizens. They insisted on the conductor's removal due to his open support of Russian state policy.
Gergiev, who is known for his performances in world music centers such as New York, London, the Netherlands, and Germany, had already been removed from his position at the Munich Philharmonic for similar reasons. His demonstrative neutral behavior regarding military actions has become a major problem for his international reputation.
A symbolic moment in his political biography was the solemn conducting at La Scala in Milan precisely on the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which further intensified negative attitudes towards him.
His invitation to perform at the royal palace in Caserta provoked massive outrage among the Italian public. Pressure from various public groups ultimately forced the organizers to cancel his performance.
This case clearly demonstrates the growing tendency of political engagement in the cultural space, where artistic performances are increasingly evaluated through the prism of performers' political positions.
Gergiev, who until now has enjoyed exceptional authority in the classical music community, now faces serious professional challenges due to his proximity to Vladimir Putin's regime.
The international reaction shows that cultural figures are increasingly involved in political processes, turning their performances into a platform for civic pressure and expressing positions on global conflicts.