Italy called the cancellation of Georgiev's speech in Caserta a disgrace.

The cancellation of a performance by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev and the Verdi Theater Orchestra from Salerno with the participation of musicians from the Mariinsky Theater in the Italian city of Caserta is a disgrace. On July 28, Italian tenor Giovanni Ribiquezu, who works as a guest soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre, told Izvestia.

Divorce in Italian: who canceled the concert of the Gergiev Orchestra and why

The local media has already called the government's decision a "return of fascism."

"I think that the cancellation of this concert by maestro Valery Gergiev is a disgrace. As an Italian, I am ashamed of this. Because when it comes to such a great name as Gergiev, everyone should be happy that he is coming to Italy. But instead, the high forces decided to refuse," he said.

According to the artist, the Italian authorities are following the current, and when the current geopolitical escalation ends, "everyone will pretend as if nothing had happened."

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Forbidden City: how Italy reacted to the cancellation of Gergiev's concert