Putin’s cellist plays solo on Palmyra ruins

We hear that President Putin’s financier cellist Sergei Roldugin played a quadrille by Rodion Schchedrin in the Valery Gergiev concert tonight in Syria.

Word is coming out of Russia that the Mariinsky orchestra musicians were not informed of the trip until this morning when President Putin sent them a video message:

‘I know that today’s action involves all participants in great inconvenience and danger, staying in a country at war, with close proximity to the ongoing hostilities… This requires great effort and definitely personal courage from you all.’

In addition to Putin’s cellist, Tchaikovsky Competition winner Pavel Milyukov played a Bach Chaconne.

The concert was shown on Russian television as an exercise in national pride and soft power.

Hostilities continued in Syria today despite the ceasefire.

You can watch the concert here: