La Scala says Russian opera is not propaganda for Putin

MILAN >> Italy’s premier opera house, Teatro alla Scala, has defended its decision to stage the Russian opera “Boris Godunov’’ for its gala Dec. 7 season opener.

The opera house is pushing back against protests by Ukrainian officials in Italy who insists that highlighting Russian culture during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine sends the wrong message.

The Russian title was chosen to open the 2022-23 season three years ago, and “contains no propaganda for the Russian government,’’ La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer told reporters.

Written by Modest Petrovic Musorgskij and based on a play by Russian poet and playwright Alexander Pushkin, it tells the story of a Russian czar whose manipulation of power haunts both him and his family.