St Petersburg opera director lashes out at Putin’s war

A message from Mstislav Pentkovsky, director of The Diary of Anne Frank  and Brundibár  at the Mariinsky Theatre.

In May, our minds have always turned to themes of war. As stage-director of the anti-war operas The Diary of Anne Frank and Brundibár at the Mariinsky Theatre, I’ve always believed in their humanitarian message. However, this year all my thoughts are only about peace.

The Diary of Anne Frank and Brundibár are about the horrors of the Holocaust and the value of human life, they recall the tragic lessons of the past century. Today we are witnessing a new catastrophe, the consequences of which are not likely to ever be overcome. I am convinced that the abuse of the memory of the resistance to Nazism during World War II is a crime against history. I believe that the glorification of the war is deeply offensive to the memory of the real victims of Nazism and all those who courageously fought against it in the 20th century. This is an insult against modern civilization. This is an insult against Russian culture. This is an insult against the celebration of Victory Day.