Decoding the news. Valery Gergiev is seen as a symbol of Russia’s cultural soft power.
- The case has sparked a broader call for structural resistance to Vladimir Putin’s narrative in Europe.
Who signed. Over 700 signatories in 24 hours, including Peace Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, Memorial’s Oleg Orlov and Irina Scherbakova, Herta Müller, Jonathan Littell, Mikhail Shishkin, and Italian Europarliament Vice President Pina Picierno, and MPs Lia Quartapelle, Benedetto Della Vedova, and Federica Onori.
What the first letter demands. The petition calls for the cancellation of the July 27 concert in Caserta as a first step, followed by:
- an investigation into the use of public funds for events linked to Russian propaganda;
- the establishment of a cultural fund supporting artists who oppose the Putin regime.
The appeal to Parliament. A second letter from Memorial Italia — the Italian branch of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Russian human rights organization — was addressed to the presidents of Italy’s two parliamentary chambers: Lorenzo Fontana (Lega), Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and Ignazio La Russa (Fratelli d’Italia), President of the Senate — both senior figures in the governing majority.
- It highlights past propaganda episodes — including RT documentaries and a Rete4 interview with Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov — and urges the creation of a parliamentary body to monitor pro-Kremlin influence.
- “This trend endangers democratic values in Italy and Europe,” the group warns.
Moscow’s playbook. “Russia uses cultural diplomacy as a battering ram to reshape its image in Europe,” Matteo Pugliese, senior analyst at Debunk.org, told Decode39.
- “Gergiev is part of this effort — just like some Italian performers who chose to play in Russia.”
