Anna Netrebko has made a donation of 1 million rubles ($18,500 USD) to the opera house in Donetsk. That donation was made in the context of the International Cultural Forum held in St. Petersburg this past weekend, where she also performed during the Hermitage Ball. Of her donation, she says: The current conflict worries me very much. My heritage is both Russian and Ukrainian, and it breaks my heart to see the fighting and destruction. I have friends in Donetsk, young musicians who told me that the theater there has been partially destroyed. I wanted to help and support my fellow artists with a donation, because I believe in the power of art in times of conflict and crisis. I want to make clear, however, that this donation is not a political act. This is not about politics, it is about art. I simply want the fighting to end as soon as possible, and I want to support art and artists in a time of terrible conflict. All of us artists must stand up for cultural values and peace in the world. In reference to the photo with Oleg Tsarov, Netrebko adds, “He was presented to me as the only person who could ensure safe delivery of the funds to the theater in Donetsk. The presence of the flag was unplanned and caught me off guard; I actually did not recognize it at first and realized only later what it was. At the press conference, Anna presented the Banner of Peace, a symbol of the Roerich Pact, an international treaty for the protection of cultural heritage.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 17:47:11 +0000
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