More than a hundred alumni, students and faculty members of the Gnesins Moscow Secondary Special Music School in Moscow condemned the action in support of the «special operation in Ukraine» organized by the Gnesinka administration.
«We don't want our school to be associated with this horrible video. We are of a different opinion. And there are many of us,» the statement says.
It is noted that on March 6, a video entitled «The Gnesins Virtuosi. muZic offering» was posted to the Gnesins World Channel on YouTube. The video shows the orchestra of the Gnesins School (College) of Music, Gnesins Virtuosi, conducted by the principal M.S. Khokhlov, wearing a T-shirt with the symbol Z on it, performing the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
«We, the students, alumni and faculty members of various classes, express our strong condemnation of this action and consider it a disgraceful stain on the history of our school,» the statement goes on to say.
«A stain that smears the reputation of one of the world's best music schools and the honor and memory of the outstanding teachers who taught within the walls of Gnesinka. We consider the use of the school's underage students and the name of the school for expressing one's personal militaristic views unacceptable,» the authors write.
On March 21 the video was removed from YouTube, but, the statement stresses, it was viewed thousands of times by people around the world. It is still available on VK and on the school's website.