"Bridge that unites peoples": an action was held in Milan in defense of Russian culture

More than 100 people took part in the action “Say no to the abolition of culture” in Milan.

The participants gathered on the square next to the Peace Arch to speak out against Russophobia and the infringement of Russian culture.

The initiator of the meeting was the association "Friends of Great Russia", which since 2014 has been working on the development and strengthening of cultural ties between the Russian Federation and Italy.

According to the organization's general secretary, Yulia Bazarova, many local residents came to the demonstration, and the well-known singer Al Bano and other Italian cultural figures expressed their support for the action.

“The decision of the association to take to the square is connected with the desire to declare the importance of the fundamental right to truthful information after there were several discriminatory episodes in relation to culture in general and to Russian in particular,” TASS quotes Bazarova.

The action was held under the slogan: “Culture is a dialogue between nations.

No Russophobia.

No abolition of culture.

Truth for a true culture."

“If there is a power of self-defense of mankind, then it is certainly culture.

It is a bridge that unites peoples.

I say from the bottom of my heart: "No Russophobia."

There is no discrimination against Russian culture and its creators, who can only be admired, ”said actor David Gramiccioli.

Russian artists performed at the demonstration, and all participants were presented with collections of short stories by Anton Chekhov and the novel The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated into Italian.

It is expected that on June 23 the next action against Russophobia, as well as for Italy's withdrawal from NATO, will take place in Milan.

In addition, a series of demonstrations are planned for June 18 in various Italian cities, including Rome, Florence, Naples and Turin.

The initiators will be political organizations expressing disagreement with the current state policy regarding the events in Ukraine.

In May, a rally in defense of Russian culture was held in Rome on Piazza dei Santi Apostoli.

Before the start of the action, Yulia Bazarova asked the participants not to bring Russian flags with them, so as not to give the event a political connotation.

The main thing, in her opinion, is to defend their right to important cultural knowledge.

“We see what is happening to our culture in Italy, we have seen the cancellation of the Dostoevsky course in Milan and the Tchaikovsky ballet in Naples.

There were many examples, and our culture, which is part of the world, began to be infringed upon.

Culture has no skin color, no language, no borders, it belongs to the whole world, ”Bazarova said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Also, the Italian opera house La Scala spoke out against Russophobia.

Its manager, Dominik Meyer, announced that he would start the new theater season on December 7 with the opera Boris Godunov by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky (based on the work of the same name by Alexander Pushkin).

In addition, Meyer stated that he opposed the cancellation of Russian operas and would not hide "when he reads Pushkin."

He was joined by the musical director of the theater, Riccardo Chailly.

“We have nothing against Russian performers.

Who are we to judge.

I take responsibility for this choice, ”Kommersant quotes him as saying.

In turn, the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, recalled that the repertoire for the opening of the season was chosen even before the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, and stressed that Boris Godunov is an “extraordinary opera”.

Earlier, Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko returned to the big European stage.

She gave recitals at La Scala and at the Paris Philharmonic.

At the same time, in early March it became known that the artist would not take part in the next productions of the Metropolitan Opera.

The Bavarian State Opera also stopped cooperating with her.

The reason was the failure to comply with the requirement to publicly criticize President Vladimir Putin.

Later, the performer announced that she was going on a sabbatical, explaining that now was not the right time for her performances.