Gergiev answered gay defenders

Valery Gergiev commented on the actions of American LGBT activists, who turned to the conductor with calls to speak out against the Russian law on “propaganda of homosexuality”. Gergiev believes that it is impossible to mix politics and art.

“As far as I understand, they are outraged by the law recently adopted in Russia. -reports the words of Gergiev ITAR-TASS . “But they didn’t even really read it.” In any case, I do not intend to engage in such research and enter into a polemic on this issue with someone. ”

“I am the artistic director of the largest Russian theater with world reputation, and I consider it absolutely stupidity to get involved in this situation. It seems to someone that I should scream throughout the world, call people to unite against something. But I prefer to do my job, namely, art, ”said the conductor.

Defenders of the rights of sex minorities twice turned to Valery Gergiev before the concerts of the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater, which is now on tour in the United States. On September 27, activists detained the beginning of a gala concert in the New York Lincoln Center, and on October 10 -a concert at Carnegie Hall, where they shouted: “Gergiev, your silence kills Russian gays!” Both times, security promptly removed order violators from the hall.

“No one managed to disrupt our concerts, because people who come to listen to music gather in the hall. - Comments Gergiev. - And the audience itself in response to the cries of these people immediately begins to demand silence. So there could not be any breakdowns, we were not even worried about it. ”

“Nevertheless, starting a grand evening in one of the main concert halls of America with screams is very rude and not appropriate to such a serious level,” the conductor said. -In addition, Russian-American relations are a matter of great importance. They are needed both by our countries and the whole world. And for 25 years we are actively contributing to our work, discovering the best achievements of Russian culture, playing the music of such great composers as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky. This is our professional path, and we always feel confident and with great pride we go out onto any scene, and especially on such as Carnegie Hall. ”

Today, October 15, another concert in Carnegie-Hall, Mariinsky Orchestra, under the direction of Valery Gergiev and Pianist Denis Matsuev, end American tour.