The principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev, has led a concert in Tskhinval. The performance was staged next to the destroyed parliament building in the bombed-out capital of South Ossetia.
The concert featured selections from Tchaikovsky’s fifth and sixth symphonies as well as Shostakovich’s famous “invasion” theme from his sixth symphony. Opening the concert, Gergiev said: “We want everyone in the world to know the truth about the terrible events in Tskhinval. It was a huge act of aggression on the part of the Georgian army. This is not yet a known story in the world but I’m sure the truth will be coming through”. He added: “If it hadn’t been for the Russian army there would have been even more casualties and victims. I am very grateful as an Ossetian to my great country Russia for this help. I hope we will see peace here for many decades to come”.