The Minister of Culture of Italy, Alessandro Gui, has called out Valery Gergiev’s concert at the Reggia di Caserta.

Gui released a statement noting, “Art is Free and cannot be censored. Propaganda, however, even if done with talent, is something else.”

He added, “That is why the concert by Putin’s friend and advisor Valery Gergiev, which the Campania Regional Government wanted, organized and paid for, at the Reggia di Caserta, which is independent in its choice of events to host like all autonomous institutes of the Ministry of Culture, risks giving the wrong message.”

The statement comes after numerous politicians, including Alexey Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, who published an op-ed in La Repubblica and said, “In 2025, a EU-funded music festival in Italy is inviting Valery Gergiev — a close ally of Putin. This is not just a concert, but an attempt to normalize the war and the crimes of his regime.”

It also comes after Pina Picierno, European Parliament President said, “Gergiev’s concert on July 27th must also be canceled because it violates the ethics code of Reggia di Caserta, which prohibits the hosting of initiatives or individuals who violate the UN 2030 Agenda, condemns all forms of violence, torture, arms trafficking, and money trafficking, and demands access to fair justice for all. Values that are clearly light years away from Gergiev and the regime of which he is a sponsor, spokesperson, and accomplice. The Royal Palace of Caserta is a UNESCO World Heritage site; how can such a stage be granted to supporters of those who are destroying other protected sites, such as the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (damaged in a Russian attack in June) and the historic center of Odessa, which has been under indiscriminate attack for the past three years?”

She added, “I appeal to the Italian government, and in particular to the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, not to make our cultural system the victim of propaganda and subservience to Vladimir Putin’s regime.”

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