Valery Gergiev tells Tass: I never signed Putin’s Crimea letter

In a section of his Tass interview that appeared only in Russian, Valery Gergiev denies ever having signed a letter of support for Putin’s intervention in Crimea.

In March 2014, Gergiev says, he received a call from culture minister Vladimir Medinsky asking him where he stood on events in Crimea. Gergiev replied: People need to be rescued. Medinsky: Then you will sign a letter to Putin (seeking Russian intervention). Gergiev: I need to see the text first. He was never show the text but his name appeared at the head of the cultural signatories.

Russian text below.

Да вот так! В марте 2014-го позвонил Владимир Мединский: “Валерий Абисалович, как вы относитесь к событиям в Крыму?” Отвечаю: “Людей надо спасать”. Министр спросил: “Подпишете письмо к Путину?” Говорю: “Пришлите текст, должен прочесть”. И все, точка. Ничего мне не прислали, а через несколько часов узнаю из прессы, будто я едва ли не первый подписант…