Philly Protests Gergiev

Next Thursday and Friday, Valery Gergiev, a Russian conductor who openly expressed his support war Putin's aggression in Ukraine, will be performing at the Kimmel Center (Details: http://www.kimmelcenter.org/events/index.php?id=4902). The Ukrainian Community of Philadelphia cannot stand idly by as Gergiev conducts Philadelphia Orchestra glorifying "Russian Masterworks", while simultaneously glorifying hatred and bloodshed sewn by the "masterwork" of Putinist imperialism. At the same time, we would like to stress that this is first and foremost a cultural event and the protest is targeted specifically against Gergiev and his support of Putin's aggression - not against Russia as a whole, not against Russian music or anything like that. Our goal is to reach those culturally minded Americans who may be unaware of the full extent of Putin's atrocities and Gergiev's support for them. In no way do we want to alienate any of the attendees of these performances, cause any scene, or create misunderstandings with the Philadelphia police. Thanks for your understanding. We will protest Gergiev on both nights he is scheduled to appear. More details to come.