The exhibition on Mariupol and the Putinian philosopher: this is how the Kremlin lobby regains its foothold in Italy

Putin's philosopher Alexandr Dugin spoke about multipolarity and the Russian consul spoke about how Moscow is rebuilding Mariupol after razing it to the ground. Two events, scheduled for the end of January in Lucca and Modena, which anger everyone, center-right and center-left, who speak of “indecent Russian propaganda”. The Democratic Party even goes so far as to publicly criticize its mayor of the Emilian city. And the Ukrainian embassy in Italy comments ferociously: “We consider this event the height of cynicism, an insult to the memory of thousands of civilian victims.”

The first appointment on the calendar is Saturday 20 January, when the Russian consul Dmitry Shtodin will speak in Modena at the “Mariupol. The rebirth after the war”. On its website, the Russia Emilia-Romagna cultural association, promoter of the event, writes that «Mariupol, city-symbol of the popular revolt of Donbass against the Kiev junta, now faces a rapid process of reconstruction under the aegis of the institutions of Russian Federation of which it has become an integral part.” Democratic Party senator Filippo Sensi says he is “deeply offended” and invites mayor Gian Carlo Muzzarelli not to grant the spaces. The mayor replies by underlining that «the administration will verify whether the making available of the room followed the procedures and principles of the municipal regulation», specifying «that our position on the conflict triggered by the invasion of Ukraine has never been in question by Russia.” An explanation that does not convince Sensi: «I find this response disheartening and very serious». A week later, on Saturday 27th, he will be video connected with Lucca Dugin, the ideologue of the aggression against Ukraine and theorist of the supremacy of a Eurasian Russia over the West. Guest of the event “Towards a new multipolar world”, organized in Lucca by the Vento dell'Est association, chaired by Lorenzo Berti, former mayoral candidate of CasaPound in Pistoia. A lethal mix for many. Forza Italia defines the invitation to Dugin as “a serious mistake”, while for the Tuscan PD “it's really bad air in Lucca”.

Meanwhile, the controversy also reaches Europe, from where the vice-president of Parliament Pina Picierno (Pd) speaks: «I consider the two initiatives produced by Putin's propaganda in Italy to be serious and disturbing». The organizer of the Lucca conference, Berti, defines the controversy as “ridiculous and exploitative” and goes straight: “To date the connection with Dugin is confirmed.”