One of the most sophisticated tactics: a world-renowned European artist is invited to direct or perform, lending legitimacy to a production that carries Russian cultural capital — regardless of whether Russian money or musicians are involved.
British actor and director Ralph Fiennes made his opera directing debut at the Palais Garnier, staging Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin — sold out for its entire run, broadcast live on French national television, recorded for France Musique.
The production was described by conductor Semyon Bychkov — who selected Fiennes — as rooted in Fiennes' "profound connection to Russian culture." Fiennes stated publicly: "The figure of the melancholic man, disenchanted with the world, is absolutely timeless." No reference to the war. No acknowledgement of the context.
The Palais Garnier opened its 2025–26 season with this production.
Currentzis — Greek by birth, Russian by formation — is artistic director of two ensembles. MusicAeterna, his original orchestra, is directly funded by VTB Bank, a Russian state-owned financial institution under Western sanctions.
After MusicAeterna was cancelled at the Cologne Philharmonie (2023) and other major European venues for its VTB ties, Currentzis launched Utopia — a new 'international' orchestra with European funding and musicians drawn from the Concertgebouw, Berlin orchestras, and Salzburg. Utopia is now resident at the Paris Opera.
Currentzis has never issued a statement on the war in Ukraine. The structure is precise: MusicAeterna holds the Russian money; Utopia holds the European reputation. The two serve the same conductor and the same project.
Despite sanctions and the ongoing war, a number of Western artists have performed in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russian state media presents each appearance as proof that 'isolation has failed' — an explicit propaganda goal.
Russia continues to operate cultural and educational outreach networks, even where Rossotrudnichestvo (Russian Houses) have been formally restricted.