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Munich gives Russian maestro ultimatum over Ukraine

Acclaimed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev on Friday was told to speak out against Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine or risk losing his job as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic.

Published: 26 February 2022 10:05 CET
Russian conductor Valery Gergiev conducts at a concert in Moscow
Russian conductor and Mariinsky Theatre Artistic Director Valery Gergiev performs during a gala-concert dedicated to the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament at Red Square in Moscow on June 13th, 2018. Sergei CHIRIKOV / POOL / AFP

Gergiev, known for his warm ties with the Kremlin, had already faced pressure from other arts institutions wary of working with him since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday.

“I have made my position clear to Gergiev and also called on him to clearly and unequivocally distance himself from the brutal war of aggression that Putin is waging against Ukraine,” Munich mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement.

“Should Gergiev not have clearly taken a stance by Monday, he can no longer remain chief conductor of our Philharmonic Orchestra,” Reiter said.

As well as being the principal conductor in Munich since 2015, Gergiev is also the chief of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.

He has not yet spoken publicly regarding Moscow’s offensive, but he has proven fiercely loyal to the Russian president in the past, allying with him on  the annexation of Crimea and a law aimed at stifling LGBT rights activists in Russia.

Gergiev has also faced pressure to speak out in Milan, where he is currently leading Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades” at the Teatro alla Scala.

If he doesn’t, “the collaboration will be over,” Italian media quoted Milan’s mayor as saying.

He was also suddenly dropped on Thursday from concerts where he was due to lead the Vienna Philharmonic at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

A spokesperson for the prestigious venue told AFP the decision had been taken “due to recent world events”.

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‘Totally unprecedented’: Ukraine flag sales soar at German factory

Far from the war in Ukraine, Eric Borney never dreamed his factory in the calm German countryside would smash sales records making Ukrainian flags.

Published: 10 March 2022 17:20 CET
'Totally unprecedented': Ukraine flag sales soar at German factory

“Usually we make four or five Ukrainian flags each year. But we’ve made 1,000 flags in 10 days,” he said, as steam rises from a roll of blue and yellow fabric dyed for Ukraine’s national banner.

“And it’s going up every day,” he added from his factory in Normandy in northwestern France.

At the entrance to the manufacturing site, the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag floats between France’s tricolour and the company’s flag.

For factory seamstress Marie-Christine Sebert, making a Ukrainian flag is “something important”.

“We are showing (the Ukrainian people) that we are there for them, despite everything, even if we are not fighting side by side,” she told AFP.

Other manufacturers across the world have reported a rise in demand for the Ukrainian yellow and blue flag since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

French company Doublet’s subsidiaries in Spain and Germany “are receiving similar requests,” according to the parent company.

Borney’s family business saw previous sales peaks for major national events, including the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks and France’s top performance in the 2018 World Cup.

But nothing of this magnitude for another country’s flag, which he said is “totally unprecedented”.

“We did not expect this at all. France is not a border country. It’s 2,000 kilometres away,” he said.

“But people are more affected than if it’s a war in Africa or a bit farther away.”

With the spike in demand, the small business shot into action, delivering flags in under four days.

Borney didn’t say how much he’s earned from the surge in orders, only that it’s “not negligible” — particularly after losses due to the pandemic and a surge in prices for raw materials.

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