Mikkelin Musiikkijuhlat Ja Kapellimestari Valeri Gergijev

Venäjän Kulttuu Rivaikuttaminen Suomessa

Abstract

The article examines Russian cultural statecraft in Finland by conducting a case study of the Mikkeli Music Festival and its long-time artistic director, conductor Valery Gergiev. The article is based on secondary literature on cultural statecraft as well as primary data consisting of newspaper articles, social media posts, and memoirs pertinent to the history of the Mikkeli Music Festival and Gergiev's activities. The article argues that although Gergiev can be seen as an instrument of Russian cultural statecraft, the Mikkeli Music Festival cannot be considered an example of Russian cultural statecraft in Finland because the cooperation between the Music Festival and Gergiev was based on mutual commercial and personal interests. However, the article maintains that the cooperation was aligned with the goals of Russian cultural statecraft and generated space for Russian influence in the Finnish information space until the Music Festival ended its cooperation with Gergiev in 2022.