ROME, November 22. /TASS/. Dominique Meyer, the artistic director and chief executive of Milan’s La Scala opera house, said on Tuesday that it was the right choice to open its new December season with Boris Godunov, an opera composed by Russia’s Modest Mussorgsky.

Describing the opera as a "great masterpiece," he noted that this choice is not geared against Ukraine. In his words, the program was drawn up three years ago. "I do not hide while reading Dostoyevsky or Pushkin," ANSA quoted him as saying.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Consul General in Milan Andrey Kartysh asked the theater to cancel the Russian opera. On the day after his call, La Scala officially presented Boris Godunov’s program. Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan, called the controversy inappropriate. Italy’s Sky TG24 television channel cited him as saying that it was the wrong thing on the part of the consul to protest against Boris Godunov.

The choice of Boris Godunov as the season’s opening performance was announced by Meyer back on June 6. He stressed that he did not share the idea of canceling Russian operas.

Apart from that, La Scala’s 2022/2023 ballet program features Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Swan Lake (both choreographed and staged by Rudolf Nureyev).