Reactions: How the culture industry reacted to the Ukraine war

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has also shaken the world of culture. On Friday, the Mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter (SPD), threatened the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic and Putin friend Valeri Gergiev with being thrown out. Many cultural workers express their concern about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and show their solidarity.

Numerous well-known Russians used sharp words against their country’s attack on Ukraine. «The war against Ukraine started by Russia is a disgrace. This is our shame, but unfortunately the responsibility for this will still have to be borne by our children, a very young generation and Russians who are not even born yet,” read a statement signed by writers, filmmakers and other artists, as well as media representatives. The author Lyudmila Ulitzkaja, who is also widely read in Germany, wrote: “This is a political crime that will later be described as such in history books.”

There were also effects on the German cultural landscape. For example in Munich, where Mayor Reiter gave the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Gergiev an ultimatum because of his closeness to Putin. “I made my position clear to Valeri Gergiev and asked him to also clearly and unequivocally distance himself from the brutal war of aggression that Putin is waging against Ukraine and now especially against our twin city of Kiev,” said Reiter, according to a statement on Friday. “If Valeri Gergiev has not clearly positioned himself here by Monday, he can no longer remain chief conductor of our Philharmonic.”

What is Valery Gergiyev’s attitude towards Putin?

The 68-year-old Gergiev has been chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, a city orchestra, since 2015. His friendship with Putin has long been a latent image problem for the man from the Caucasus. When it became known in March 2014 that he and other Russian artists had supported the annexation of Crimea in an open letter, there were protests.

Now he might have a hard time in the West without distancing himself from his powerful friend in Moscow. For example, the Putin-friendly star conductor will not appear as planned with the Vienna Philharmonic in New York’s Carnegie Hall – “due to recent events in the world,” as the organizers announced. However, the Vienna Philharmonic board member Daniel Froschauer emphasized the decades-long connection between his ensemble and Gergiev and said: “Culture must not become a pawn in political disputes.” According to media reports, the Scala Gergiev in Milan also issued a similar ultimatum as Reiter in Munich.

The director of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Christoph Lieben-Seutter, is also threatening to cancel concerts conducted by Gergiev. «Valeri Gergiev is an important artistic partner and long-standing friend of the Elbphilharmonie. Therefore, I very much hope that he will set a sign of distancing himself from Russia’s attack on Ukraine these days, »said Lieben-Seutter on Friday of the German Press Agency. Otherwise, the concerts of the Mariinsky Orchestra from St. Petersburg planned for Easter week in the Elbphilharmonie could not take place under his direction.

The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden also expects Gergiev to make a clear statement against Putin’s war. Director Benedikt Stampa expressed his shock at the outbreak of war on Friday. Gergiev is one of the central cultural and political actors in Russia. Of course, he will be given the opportunity to express himself, Stampa said. The director of the largest German opera house with 2,500 seats emphasized the importance of Russian culture. “It is important to us to continue to build bridges there.” Despite all the horror, it must be considered that freedom of expression is hardly possible in Russia and that critics are putting their lives in danger. “Nevertheless, we will support the red line that is currently being drawn around Valeri Gergiev as a political figure and act in solidarity with all democrats in the sense of a clear stance.”

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth and Katja Keul, who is responsible for international cultural policy at the Federal Foreign Office, met with Ukrainian and Russian artists, musicians and intellectuals in Berlin on Friday. Roth and Keul announced that they would expand support for Ukrainian and Russian artists, scientists and journalists.

Sean Penn is shooting a documentary in Kiev

Also on Friday it was announced that Oscar winner Sean Penn is working on a documentary about the war in Kiev. Ukraine’s Presidential Office said on Facebook that Penn wanted to record events in Ukraine to “show the world the truth about Russia’s invasion.” A photo was also distributed showing the Hollywood star during a press conference. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video on Instagram of himself chatting with Penn.

The Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin has included a prominent reading in its program this Saturday as a solidarity action for the Ukraine. Literary voices have been announced from Ukraine, but also from Russia and Belarus, read in German translation by Berlin authors. The texts come, for example, from Jurij Andruchowytsch, Katja Petrowskaja, Elena Fanailowa, Artur Klinau and Sasha Marianna Salzmann. Among others, Nora Bossong, Julia Franck, Durs Grünbein, Herta Müller and Deniz Yücel will read.

Sasha Marianna Salzmann, who grew up in Moscow and is known for novels such as “Everything must be wonderful in people”, told the newspaper “Theater heute” about the situation in Ukraine: “People will flee. That means we have to make room. We have to donate money.” Salzmann was born in Volgograd, Russia, in 1985 and lived in Moscow (now Berlin) until 1995.

According to the director of the Thalia Theater, Joachim Lux, the cultural connections to Russia should be maintained. “We have to breathe new life into the slogan ‘Never again war’. At the same time, we must not let the cultural bridges to Russia be torn down,” Lux told the Hamburger Abendblatt. Above all, we must of course look for ways to support the artists of Ukraine», says Lux. The German Cultural Council and the German UNESCO Commission also condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.