Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, who was previously asked to take a clear position on the Russian special operation in Ukraine, has been removed from his post as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra (MFO). This decision was taken by the mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter.
“Munich is parting ways with Valery Gergiev. From now on, there will be no more MFI concerts under his leadership,” the mayor’s statement published on March 1 reads.
Reiter explained that he had previously demanded that the conductor “clearly and unequivocally distance himself” from the Russian operation in Ukraine, but Gergiev, according to him, did not express his position.
“I hoped that he would reconsider his very positive assessment of the Russian president [Владимира Путина]. He didn’t. In the current situation, however, a clear signal to the orchestra, the public and the city would be necessary for further cooperation. After this did not follow, it remains only to leave immediately, ”the mayor said.
Gergiev has served as chief conductor of the IFO since 2015. The contract with him was calculated until 2025.
Earlier, on February 27, Tatyana Moskalkova, Ombudsman for Human Rights in Russia, reported that some Russians abroad are facing harassment from foreign citizens. She noted that “people who are just doing their job, trying to live in difficult conditions, support their families, are attacked because of their nationality.”
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass. After that, the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Russian Federation of hitting the country’s military infrastructure and introduced martial law throughout Ukraine. He also said that Kyiv is breaking off diplomatic relations with Moscow and withdrawing its diplomats from the embassy.
On February 21, the heads of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, asked Putin to recognize the independence of the republics. The corresponding decrees were signed in the evening of the same day. In the presence of the leaders of the republics, the President of the Russian Federation also signed treaties of friendship, cooperation and assistance. The documents were ratified the next day by both the republics themselves and the Russian State Duma.
The situation in Donbass escalated on February 17. In the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces was reported, including from heavy weapons. The republics announced a general mobilization and evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kyiv blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the conflict.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.