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Maestro Gergiev says it is impossible to isolate Russian music and Russian culture

"Isolation of Russian music, Russia culture is nonsense," Gergiev said when asked whether he had felt any impacts of the anti-Russian sanctions during his European tour

BELGRADE, January 31. /TASS/. It is impossible to isolate Russian music and Russian culture, world-acclaimed maestro Valery Gergiev, the artistic director and chief conductor of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, said on Tuesday before a concert in the Serbian capital city.

"Isolation of Russian music, Russia culture is nonsense. It is impossible to do. How can you isolate Tchaikovsky?," he said when asked whether he had felt any impacts of the anti-Russian sanctions during his European tour.

At a news conference before his first concert in Belgrade, maestro Gergiev said this performance is "a present to the heroic Serbian people."

Maestro Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra will give a concert at Belgrade’s biggest concert hall, Sava Center. It will be the last concert of the orchestra’s European tour.

Gergiev has promised to show how a Russian orchestra can play European music.

"Last time, with the London Symphony Orchestra, we showed how Europeans can play Russian music and today we are going to show how a Russian orchestra can play European music," he said. "If it comes to an encore, we will play something Russian. The Serbs are our brotherly people and this concert is a gift to this heroic people which we in Russia love very much."