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St. Petersburg, May 2 . Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the artistic director and director of the Mariinsky Theater Valery Gergiev, who celebrates his 70th birthday on Tuesday, said that art is out of politics.
«I will not talk about the current situation in the world, in art. I just consciously do not want to delve into all this here. On the contrary, I want to emphasize that art is outside politics. This is the most important thing,» he said.
«But at the same time, I cannot fail to note your patriotism both in relation to your small homeland and in relation to Russia as a whole,» the president added, noting that the main award is the public's love for the maestro's work.
< br />Putin congratulated the maestro on his jubilee at the Mariinsky Theatre. After the conversation, the head of state spoke about Gergiev's busy schedule.
«You talked about concert activities. I remember I once said: if you don't feel sorry for yourself, have pity on the musicians. This wish remains,» Putin joked.
Gergiev spoke about his concerts in Russia.
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«We have just returned to St. Petersburg for a few hours. We passed 19 Russian cities by train, thanks to Russian Railways. The impressions are the best. I am now talking not cleverly prepared some kind of folded fairy tales,» Gergiev said.
According to him, they played in the village of Ivanovka in Rachmaninov's homeland.
«Chelyabinsk made me very happy,» the musician added.
He also remembered the concert in the homeland of politician Viktor Chernomyrdin.
«The times are not the easiest, but many have woken up,» Gergiev noted.