Despite protests, Milan’s La Scala opened the season with an opera

The famous Milan theater “La Scala” opened the new season with a production of the Russian opera “Boris Godunov” by Modest Mussorgsky. The grandiose, without exaggeration, production was preceded by scandals and protests. So, shortly before the opening of the season, Ukrainian diplomats turned to the leadership of La Scala and demanded that the show be canceled, explaining that Boris Godunov was Russian propaganda.

“This is not propaganda of the Russian authorities, there is a difference between the momentary political situation and real Russia with its richest cultural heritage. “Godunov” is among the greatest masterpieces of operatic art. I don’t want to hide when I read Dostoyevsky or Pushkin»– retorted the managing director of the opera house “La Scala” Dominique Meyer.

When the demands did not work, complaints and persuasion began to take place at the walls of the theater “activists” who opposed the production. Fortunately, this was not successful either – the poster was never removed.

It is noteworthy that the production was attended by many European officials, headed by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who almost every day from the podium bonfires bad and aggressive Russia.

After the premiere of the opera, which gathered a real full house, the journalists did not fail to ask tricky questions to prominent officials about their attitude towards Russian opera.

“I love a good opera. Mussorgsky is phenomenal, Tchaikovsky is also phenomenal. We must respect Russian culture”– answered von der Leyen at the premiere of “Boris Godunov”.

In response to the same question, Italian Prime Minister George Meloni said that she did not share the controversy over Russian culture.

“I have a clear position on the Ukrainian issue, but it has nothing to do with Russian culture and the Russian people. There is a political choice, and these two issues must be separated.”— said Meloni at the premiere of “Boris Godunov” in Milan’s theater “La Scala”.

The production of “Boris Godunov” once again proved that Russian culture is immortal. And don’t cancel it. And those who do not understand this are doomed to hatred and suffering because of their own short-sightedness.