>> rose: welcome to the program. tonight from st. petersburg russia velery gergiev artistic and director of the mariinsky theater. >> i was never thinking of building new operahouse or building new concert hall. we have both now, when i started. what i was thinking, the only one advantage i have over everybody is that i love music they do too. but as a leader i have to prove that i can work hard then looking at me they will also believe we have to work, rehearse prepare. then we'll expand. then we will have quality. then we'll have international recognition. which actually followed very quickly. in 1988 i started, in 1989 the orchestra or the opera company was famous in any

case. >> rose: velery gergiev for the hour next. >> funding for >> rose: funding for "charlie rose" has been provided by: >> rose: additional funding provided by: >> and by bloomberg, a provider of multimedia news and information services worldwide. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> rose: valery gergiev say world-class conductor and artistic and general director of the mariinsky theatre since 1996. in 1998 he also became the theatre's music director. for the past decade he was the principal conductor of

the london symphony orchestra, he in 2,000 he had a vision for a new operahouse which after several technical setbacks finally opened on his 60th birthday in 20136789 the new marin-- mariinsky which stands alongside the historic mariinsky theater from rehearse and set storage is the hub of all things mariinsky. on june -- i visited where valery gergiev gave my a tour of the campus. here is my conversation with him at the new operahouse am thank you for allowing us to come into your new home. >> my pleasure. >> rose: it is a new home and an old home. because we are sitting in the new mariinsky theater. i want to talk about that. but tell me about coming here, when you first came as a man in his --, what was the attraction and what was the history of the place? >> first of all charlie it is so great to have you here first of all. welcome, to sait petersburg to the mariinsky theatre

one of the mariinsky theatres to be precise it was long ago i was a institute in then leningrad conserve tore tchaikovsky is one of the most famous and now maybe overall most famous musicians. >> . >> rose: the famous chy confiski competitionness which is now taking place. >> i'm a chairman of the committee, i'm responsible for inviting international jury and organizing process and organizing the orchestra pansion and year all. >> it is very important it is watched now in 144 countries. >> created a storm famous

internationally. >> we both share friendship with -- >> who unfortunate leigh passioned away some time ago. he was here four years ago. he was enjoying so of the visit to st. petersburg and moscow. he was at the competition. he was our hon hear-- honorary chairman, he was a great friend an fantastic american legend. which by the way continues to live in this country very few people like gargarin they are here forever because they just opened something unthinkable something totally unexpected. who expected the young american boy to take a first gold first tchaikovsky competition in this country. >> rose: total surprise. a young man from fort worth texas. >> through genius and i think even then our

colleagues an international jury, by the way my great great predecessor was dmitri-- himself. i think his role was tremendous if making all feel that they have to listen to their heart and judge and vote for the best, this is how-- . >> rose: another legend of russian music. >> giant. >> rose: the conserve tore is within a block of here. >> yes just few steps really. >> rose: so you went there to leningrad to the conserve tore and you graduate. so what is the next stop? >> i didn't know. i was prepared to go to provincial orchestra. i was prepared to conduct. >> rose: but you knew then you wanted to be a conducter. >> i knew from the age 17. i was helped by great, great teachers in my native city of northern ossetia. it is in the south. very very close to chechnya. very close to georgia very close to south ossetia

politically troubled. not so much, not any more but. >> rose: in the conflict over george gra. >> but also 20 years ago when chechnya conflict was at its height t was a really troubled area. but back to leningrad conserve tore, i was hoping that i would be accepted and then i was hoping i will have a great teacher his name is ilya musin. he was a teacher of many many great conducters. certainly most famous teacher, maybe then in the world. because there are simply too many many great conductors come out of his class. but it's a familiar story. when sergei rachmaninoff and-- another great russian composer entered in moscow the class of professors he maybe didn't know that he is starting to teach two young, they were boyed boy not

even 17, i think they were, boys kids and both of them went on to become great pianists but also great composers rachmaninoff was also a great conduct ares who conducted the philadelphia orchestra for example many times. and his music is admired all over the world. but again, american audiences were there maybe even a hundred years ago. and then 90 years ago then 80 years ago then even maybe 70 something years ago to hear his music. he performed so many times in america. was seen as the greatest living pianist. and more and more and more accepted as a great composer. so russia america musical history will be very very long it will take several interviews so we should stop here. >> rose: let's start with when you came to the mariinskyment because you were in your tos. what was your first job? >> assistant conductor.

but i was asked to assist and then conduct performances public performances of famous war and peace of another great composer. the met audiences know war and peace very well because we share a production which was shown here 15 years ago, then we brought it to new york. i conducted roughly 20 times in new york city at the met. great, great opera, if there is anything written on the grand, grand scale for any opera in any country in the world war & peace will be there on the first list meadly together with the ring cycle of wagner and maybe war and peace sergei prokofiev, russian composer so the beginning was not my choice i i simply was told this is what you are going to first assist cover but then conduct your own performances. of course i'm very grateful the music director then, may

1st boss actually may only boss i had in my life and he told me prepare yourself war & peace. and thats with one moment when he turned, i was sitting and he says where is my assistant. i was there, he said why don't you come and i want to hear how it sounds. that was my first time i conducted mariinsky orchestra, nobody knew me. he told he is our young conductor, new he is my assistant sow will do it. i thought i will conduct two minutes, i conducted the entire opera uninterrupted strange unusual maybe i had some father but it was the beginning. the orchestra and the chorus and some many, many singers in this opera in two three hours they knew there is someone on the podium unknown, young unexperienced but somehow i

managed to go through this large large op rament and then it was end of 1977 december. i remember very well. one of the last days of december 1977. my first performance was on the second of january, 1978. that was my deput public deput. in then called kirov theater so long time 37 years, and a half. >> rose: this season is the 232nd. >> correct. >> rose: season for the mariinsky. >> correct. >> rose: and it was named after? >> maria alex end raova em res of russia the wife serena, the wife of alexander 2nd, czar russia. the old theatre was built in 1860. >> rose: that is why we met you, that is where your

office is in the old theatre. >> correct, beautiful theatre. >> rose: and still ver active. >> very active. >> rose: place of performance. >> we call full-time, there, 7, 8 performances a week there 7 8 performances or even more here because we also have four chamber music halls here in this new theatre which is, by the way also in its own right very very beautiful building. >> rose: i want to come to this building but i want to stay over there the sense of history of the place so then you become 35 music director. >> not even 35. i was not even 35 when i was told in april 1988 that all the-- the artists voted for me to become the artistic director. it was a time-- . >> rose: you were how old is this. >> 34 and a half. >> rose: okay. >> gorbachev brought a lot of changes. this is a well-known fact.

some of most unexpected came to the lives of artistic institution but also factories plants the economy, was yes it was stagnating, maybe collapsing but in 1988 the minister of culture coming from moscow talking to orchestra, chorus ballot company opera company in lenin-- leningrad telling them we made a decision this is a man a woman appointed by the leadership of the country was not any more accepted. this is a real change gorbachev brought to this country was that people started to feel they mean a lot. people started to feel they are professionals they have their opinion, they should express their opinion. and they should insist that

their opinion is heard and respected. >> rose: not simply be the dictator of the state. >> correct. >> and the state, when you say the state you obviously can speak about 100 or 500 or maybe thousand people who think they make all the decisions. but gorbachev brought this important change. i know him very well. we are friends. >> rose: he lives in moscow. >> he livers in moscow, he is maybe not so well for his age but i was conducting the concert in london, celebrating his 80th birthday. he asked me to do so and i was doing it with pylon done symphony orchestra. and of course he brought historical changes not only to this country but to the world. >> rose: interesting the history of the music here prokofiev, strabinski, composers who worked here include shall did -- wagner.

>> varios. so there is a link to music the great musk of-- music of our time. >> enormous. the history here is very very big. well-known but i think it's important again to starting from glinka famous russian composer. all over the world all the time. then of course not only tchaikovsky but musovski in new york as in the united states all over the world again. cosikov. boridin. famous recent production at the met. >> rose: you have transformed the mariinsky you have i think given it a stature around the world because it is not just a conductor it is more. it's representing an institution that you have built. >> first of all the institution was hugely respected and was born first

as a company in 1783 by the way, always, there was this great leadership which made the fate of this institution changed immediately. in one goal-- the great decides we need a court theater. katia the great she transformed the world's understanding of the buttey because peter the great who was the founder of the city. and then katia the great is a person who enlarged and brought even more power to this colossal city but also exceptionally beautiful city st. petersburg. so you can imagine in the short distance of 70. 75 years maximum 80 years from nothing this city became one of the most beautiful, most powerful one. grandest in architecture

most accomplished. it looked and does still like a wonderful ensemble. we artists, we musicians try to achieve this natural combination of many different elements. but none is more difficult than a city's architecture when you have an enormous city. >> rose: there was at some point in which you decided you wanted this theater to expand. >> yes. >> rose: mariinsky would have what we are sitting in thousand, i mean this is a huge commitment. >> it is. >> now it is over a thousand performances a year but then it was only one theater. then it was only 34 and a half, nearly 35 years old. i understood there was a huge opportunity in a way a huge generosity. there was a let's say a trust which the company which included some 60 plus

or even 70 plus artists very, very famous. for example in our ballot company the most important people are-- and some of them are 80 plus. we never tried first of all it would be stupid to ask them, okay, you have to stop. it is enough. the young people come, because they pass their secrets of the beauty of stage. we have from our famous famous mariinsky ballot company, this our most precious people who know how to teach who know how to affect and make them young girls, you know 16 17 years old to take it and never lose it for the rest of their life. it's very, very important to have them always with us. and the people who voted for me including maybe some 20 something or 80 something so it was a huge-- and i suddenly surpassingly i was supported by good 85% of the

company. why? maybe somebody remembered how i started with war & peace. maybe somebody remembered i was hardworking. maybe somebody remembered i was insistent. maybe somebody thought i had maybe a stronger will or stronger character because they were difficult times. in 1988 gorbachev was still admired by many. but the sense of losing the ground the sense of not maybe losing the country but losing the confidence that there was the problem of gorbachev was that the economy has to be stable. then you can bring other reforms based on the economy which gives people confidence. salaries their families are supported. you can tell we need more openings, we need more rapid changes. the tragedy of gorbachev was that this was not brought to

a certain level. and the openers and the strong will for the change was benefitting the wrong people. it couldn't benefit every family because the economy was not working. tragic. but in china in the same situation, they made a wise decision to start with the economy. to start quietly inviting western technologies. >> rose: so you made a commitment to build here and then you had an architect who built a foundation. and then you decided you saw a building that you liked so much in toronto,. >> i was never thinking of building new operahouse or building new concert hall. we have both now, when i started. what i was thinking the only one advantage i have over everybody is that i love music they do too. but as a leader i have to

prove that i can work hard then looking at me they will also believe we have to work rehearse prepare. then we will expand. then we will have quality. then we'll have international recognition. which actually followed very quickly. in 1988 i started, in 1989 the orchestra or the opera company and of course ballot company was famous in any case because we were seen in london or in paris or in zurich. and maybe two years later we were seen already at the met. in 1992 was our first arrival, in new york. i was first time in america in 1990. so now 25 years since i came first time to america. and of course there was not one single year. i think there was not a single period of four or five months that we would go there either/or ballot or organize tra extra or our stars are there all the time. so it was very very important for us to build relationships with carnegie hall, or metropolitan opera.

of course with san francisco, chicago, with los angeles it went on and on and on. >> what would you compare this to internationally? >> it is difficult to compare maybe easier to compare with again soviet times when after twice after so-called iron curtain was lifted in late 50s and then the west discovered the art of boll choy ballot, to say it was a sensation would be to underestimating it was a shock. its with a shock. and we know it's problem many, many times. >> what was the shock? >> the first arrival of kirev ballot to long done to paris to new york. let's start with three countries because of course there were performances in

finland, i know there were performances in japan. but i think the big shock came london, new york paris. because stars like nuriev baryshnikov, or natasha they just three legendary names, those who leave continue to leave or-- in the west who decided to leave russia or so of yet union and continue their careers in the west. but there were many who did not but they were flourishing here ledge enary dancer ballerinas male dances choreographers and so on. i think it is easy to compare the years when the collapse of soviet union in 1991 somehow coincided with the rise of mariinsky restored the name of mariinsky the name coming from the middle of 19th

century, in 1860 mariinsky was built, by the way amazingly t was built in --. >> but you had a commitment here for how many years? >> we started to think about it in 2003. it was opened in 2013. the problem comes from the moment when the model which was chosen by-- proved to be near to impossible to rebuild near to impossible. quite many wise people told me this is impossible to build. when germans-- . >> rose: but that was after the foundation had been built. >> foundation it was not finished. >> you had a foundation then people said to you the architect. >> yes. >> they told me and people from construction business big construction companies they are not here for tchaikovsky although some of them maybe understand it is a beautiful melody beautiful dance, beautiful solo violinist or beautiful sounding orchestra, but one

of them told me he was russian, you know, i warn you, this is going to be risky. this architecture is difficult to build. believe me we have to be careful. then we started to ask some companies to come and help us. when german company came do you think you can build this is the project. and now we already in the beginning of this huge process. we started to spend money. so when german, you know they are very thorough. when german told us it is a big contract we don't think we can do it. why? >> we we see that it's risky. the structural shape t is very risky. very expansive. very expensive to look after it because cleaning the snow it will be raining and snowing. will be a nightmare. then i was becoming very sad. at some point i was in toronto. i was seeing in front as a

conducter, mariinsky orchestra was coming but once i came with mariinsky orchestra and was maybe 2006 maybe, 2007 and i was asked to come and see the theater which was building built not even opened. i came i looked i thought it was very good for the public. wonderful stairs the stairs you can transform into the seat in the concert hall. it looks like the piano was there,s foyer was very full of light and very spacey. and then rehearsal rooms not huge but again comfortable. the storage area not huge comfortable. when i heard the price for something in the area of a hundred million i was surprised because initially we already spending something like this overall

they whether the a beautiful operahouse which we are spending in the first place so that was for me something terribly important i felt. i had to make some decision very soon. i was looking for architect who was working there. i have good friends in toronto. they arranged for me to meet architect. i came back to toronto the operahouse was builder built. -- already built. i knew very well the music director wonderful man. i already knew the architect. we started to talk practical things i asked them to come for something very important. he did come to st. petersburg. he saw the city. i think he fell in love with the architecture. he saw the area the site where we already started. there was the big space below. then we started to talk practical. i told him we will ask you

to build operahouse. on skrosly there will be new competition. but your experience in building operahouse is precious for me. i know you will not start to learn how to build operahousement you will give us maximum of your professional experience and your buff experience in toronto, use it to best possible effect and build even bigger, maybe even larger. maybe even more-- . >> rose: so here we are. it opened when you were 60. >> yes. >> rose: on your 60th birthday. >> correct. >> rose: putin came. >> correct. >> rose: so tell me how you feel now about what this place represents. because it's amazing to me it's not only are you music directorment not only are you conducting but you are a builder. you are a guy who is with your own energy trying to transform, words that were used earlier an institution. there are only 24 hours in a day. you travel with your

orchestra. >> correct. >> rose: and now you've got this place. where are you? what are you proud about? where are you in your life. where do you want to go from here? >> look i have two legendary americans who immediately come to my mind. i met them. it would be too much to say a close friend of leonard bernstein, with russian roots, by the way or isaac stern, another great american who is very strong russian roots who spoke russian. leonard did to the but we spoke a lot about their great grandparents and so on. i repeat lenny by the way he did travel with his orchestra. >> rose: the new york philharmonic. >> correct. and de travel to other orchestras as well. len' famously was to conduct when the berlin wall went down.

so did-- played his famous cello. >> rose: it was in washington. >> of course. and eye ago stern was there to defend carnegie hall the very existence the very life of carnegie hall. although i know jim wolfensohn was there as well to give his tremendous support and these two gentlemen, there were many others i'm sure. >> rose: they were all there for the fall of the -- >> because there would be no carnegie hall any more. there was a moment in history of carnegie hall when there was someone who could mick a decision, that carnegie hall should go down. and there would be something built, hotel shops whatever. it is one of the symbols of maas call world not only musical america the musical world overall. so yes you need someone who actsing you need leaders well i don't know if i was born as you call born leader. but i was born most probably in the right place, at the

right time look. there were great conductors here. i looked at the yvegeny. he had great orchestra in the philharmonic i understand the souchbdz great orchestra. there was the fantastic orchestra if berlin, berlin philharmonic changing from mid times of bulov to time of-- bulov then to karai n to others and now-- but now so you see-- but lenny was there to help the philharmonic but also the met, and the ballot to have a home. the large space.

carnegie hall needed leaders to save it. in my own small way maybe this city, this country needed a small leader what would make sure that ballot opera orchestra are not going to disappear like soviet union disappear. no more. wait a second, will say problem outside this but i thought in 1980 and especially 1991 i will make whatever it takes like a vaticanment and whatever happens around vatican, vatican remains vatican. funny it sounds now but i did my utmost best to make this kind of work and it did. >> rose: it would be freeh from politics. >> totally free from politics it was and it is. because if you ask me today what is so political about current times, i would say the relationship between politicians are very political.

the relationship between people in america people in russia have zero political affect. the relationship between politicians in russia and the people in russia are changing in a totally wrong from the american point of view. the assumptions which are played for more than one here, may have opposite effect. putin became more popular, has big are support than before. so in our scenario, we think russia makes difficult decisions, russia is a country with russian leadership but you cannot even start to compare life here before 2,000 and up. you cannot even start then you have to be first of all very honest and say this and this and this and this and this improve. this we could do better. this and this we definitely have to do better. but which president of which country says everything whatever was there an opportunity, we do better.

this fairy tale doesn't exist. it simply doesn't exist there are mistakes made by many, many presidents or prime ministers many many even many collectively, i think europe is beautiful continent but they have many mistakes made. i think they are certainly-- we see in china i'm sure china has its own questions. well look i'm not political observer but politics and music come together when if the country is facing a car and someone lacks the courage-- the symphony most probably reflects this huge tragedy and drama of the war. and a lot of people spend time saying he's a big composer but he's very political because he writs about hitler about stalin. i started to say 30 years

ago, don't look at-- in relation to stalin or hitler just listen the music. he's a muss ig a composer not a politician, it took me some time. i played the cycle of the symphonies entirely one two, three four five-- 15 15 symphonies is maybe more than 11 12 hours of music. i took it to london paris to venaa,. >> rose: played it with your orchestra. >> play and play. not only with mariinsky also with american also with london symphony in rotterdam. >> and the point was. >> to prove that it's not a politician who composes music, because it is a music of my country, i have to say clearly what i think about prokofiev, strabinski,-- don't choose one two three or three two one. they all contributed unbelievably to the world of

music. but since i come from st. petersburg and this is the city i maybe have more responsibility to play, to perform to understand to think about to bring some kind of true message more or less, i think it's even a pressure on me. if i don't do well with the music of schutz, he wrote beautiful music i done think i have to-- nobody expects me to be the leading expert. >> rose: but if it is prokfiev also tchaikovsky rock man of that there would be a list of 15 20 names and living great living composer tomorrow his opera will perform here. i think i accept this responsibilities. i am ready to face any

criticism, take this and this and this composition of those russian anywhere in the world. i know i will both help but also defend this music. and if people say wait a second this sim foley t is called in 1905, it was first revolution. >> 1905. very unfortunate many people killed many bad things started. and it was in st. petersberg not only in russia n st. petersburg so he decided some 50 years later to compose a symphony revolution immediately some people not only in this country oh,-- politician, why he should stay with the music. my answer don't worry, he is staying with the music

the problem is people who are dead they try to find external reason not deep inside outside it's called 1905, bad because it is about revolution in russia that means it say political thing, no. >> rose: so now here you are. and here mi in st. petersberg and you want to make sure you take the music of the great russian kporss within the young group of artcitieses, the chore is-- chorus, singers, i have to say when you say young, dancer, it's like an insult because they are 17 16 years old children not any more young professionals not yet. but early we take them and early we start to give them this kind of injection. they become mariinsky it's

normally most of them want to keep the relationships a long time, or forever. it's not a place where you come and say oh i come. >> your commit suspect not only to do honor to the music of russian composers but also to develop the next generation or encourage the next generation of russian artists. >> yeah well today at the met people come and hear-- long time ago horosov skae was very unknown. we scan even have a contract until 87y 68ee 87y he was a boy really very, very young singer. someone told me interesting lyrical, and then i say where he is. in sigh letter/ -- siberia how doe with fine him. one month he was here singing. of course he was then really very, very young.

but you could feel immediately, his first record he made with me. then he comes we perform here we perform there london or new york or st. petersburg moscow i'm thaep-- but there are many quite many. >> rose: dow consider vladimir putin a friend? >> i consider him a man who i respect and who i know well. i never call him as a friend because look he has men things to worry about and think about. i'm responsible just one of those important things. mariinsky in russia, there are hundreds of very important symbols of the symbol of the pride symbol of normal symbol of what is good, what is healthy. >> rose: do you think he respects the role of art in our life? >> i think he does it to do a degree where you compare him to the smart leaders of the country rather than uninformed ones.

ed uninformed ignorance if i'm uninformed about what is good or what is bad for my health i will be furnished. look you die earlier you lose energy, you cannot operate. you become half professional because you don't have what you need. your health you need for also professional activity this is what i find very interesting about mr. putin. he came in 19-- as a prime minister. i'm telling you this country was looking 50/50 survive, most probably. collapse can collapse as well so to lose russia okay, that would be something russian. but first of all soviet union, then russia, in 1999 looked like well maybe the south will go because there are muslims there they want independence. and maybe in siberia they want independence because they have diamonds and gold and aluminum, they think why

we should always be donors to others. we can become a state and we are healthy economy, bigger than our neighbors. let's decide now because again whether you like it or not, not you but our most respected audience but someone comes and says oh stop it. this integration is not good there will be a war. look what happened in armen ya, there was a war what happened in georgia between georgia theres with a war. it is not good for people. thousands, many thousands are killed. war is no good. what look you will ask me this question, in any case. six or 7,000 dead crimea one, he was somehow-- stampeded, that is what we know maybe two, but i don't talk about

natural death but as a result of this very very provocative territory, was it annexation, many people say annexation but i heard wenners lesmart and very well-known werners i heard it in paris in a very official gatherings where one frenchman said well you can look at it as annexation of crimea but also you can look before this annexation of crimea there was an unlawful coup and they got rid of elected president, i was never fond of this president. i personally-- . >> rose: . >> i was never his fan never. i never felt i want to go to kiev which i did pain times and i want him to come and hear my con zferment i felt always it is not what he honestly wanted to do. you feel it you feel it.

sometimes with american president, there were presidents who would enjoy it so much. history tells us. but there were some without didn't feel art was so important. there is a difference one to another. some people think there is a minister of culture. he should go. but some people think mitterov in france some people felt-- we know there is a sense that mitterrand whether the, maybe he wanted even a monument to his presidency. ever lasting you know sort of library. at the operahouse. some people like, some people say but there is one and there are many performances hundreds of thousands, now millions of people came and enjoyed music there. which means maybe he was right. maybe he was right maybe this theater which is one of

symbols of those years where mr. putin is the president or he was prime minister, is also as a result of changes in russia under his rule where he leads the country maybe the way he leads the country includes this thinking that this is good important something in moscow built, you know for people tone joy music. we are a country of tchaikovsky. >> rose: what do you think he is trying to do the president. are you confident in his goals? >> first of all i don't think he wants to stick to this position forever forever, forever. i don't think so. >> rose: as president. >> as president, i don't think so. secretary, i don't think he wants to betray those russian-speaking people especially in the-- just simply abandon them. >> the separatists. >> some people call them separatists, some people call them people, because they always live there. they never separated. they always lived there. the graves of their fathers

and grandfathers is there. so some of them say you come and kill me but i'm not living. i'm staying here this is my house. because some people say oh you have to escape because there is a danger. some people say i'm not leaving, even if i am dying i am hear because this is the grave of my mother or father. we have to respect this kind of thinking because otherwise we think oh look there are good people, there are bad people, and all of them are bad here this is never black and white. and you know it well because you cover the whole world. how complicated is i complicated is syria who is better assad or isis. >> it's not a choice that shouldn't be the choice assad or isis. the choice ought to be what the people of syria really want and whoever they are. in fact. >> and that is exactly what he said. i said you should play a role. he said well it's up to the syrian people but you have to make sure you understand what the choices are. the choices are not necessarily between assad and isis. if that's the choice that's

the choice that i think assad may want them to make. because he wants to see it as simply-- there is a real ris tlk and danger there about what isis -- >> let me tell you something. believe me president assad most probably is not a hero of vladimir putin. because putin knows maybe better than even american president that-- is much bigger. >> i think most people do think that. i mean nobody the scariest thing in america would be for isis to march into damascus,. >> but maybe two years ago that is exactly what g-20 was supposed to discuss in st. petersburg. >> and it is closer today than two years ago because they have had success, to the defeat in terms of their own expansion. in syria and iraq. >> the problem is that two years ago u.s. and russia together with others of course could do much more than they can do now. that is the failure that was a mistake. nobody is killed by the way but i still feel badment but the mistake of president of u.s. or russia leads to

thousands of deaths and millions of people starving or suffering or displaced many so you have to think 10 times. and maybe never come with a previous-- we are big. are you not. we will do this because we are big. first of all nobody knows who is bigger. my artistic feeling of perception of this world. you never know who is bigger because the small snake can kill an elephant. we know it. just anyway. and the bigger-- so we saw in its wonderful national geographic lions killed by small snakes or mosquitoes so it just dangerous to think this, we are not in a jungle but much better to build a world which works together. and i'm in many ways american. i have maybe more trend froms in america than in many big russian regions, i

have many friends in moscow maybe more than in st. petersburg. let's forget about it. we are professionals here, so here everyone is my friend colleague, professional. let's not talk about mariinsky family. but i have many friends in america. i talk to them all the time. how many of them cold me 15 years ago clinton was bad another one says clinton was good. then comes george w. bush. many, i mean many of them say impossible. but some people said you know no republican is good for us now. i was quiet. i don't provoke this, i just listen, over dinner after the concert. america was full of this discussion terrible or good or okay. we can't live like this. so i did-- we are in this country, also divided. but what current actions and current let's say

sanctioning russian-- russia sanctioning russia economy made this country much more united, more than it was before. this president even more popular. >> 80%. >> even more popular. and this is not a fake people don't really play with this, even more popular. so my life think twice maybe three times because if you want to be a fundamentalist, or to be successful in arab countries north africa lib ya don't even start libya what is libya now. is it a state called libya answer is no. you want to do it without russians? you tried already. and think twice. better three times. and i'm only musician. but you know verity great musician was not staying away from musicians, one lesson after another. i think even america might need very careful thinking. >> rose: last question.

being a man of music, and when you cross wherever are you going what is the music you want to hear? it's maybe a big complex problem in me. i will never never, how long i live i don't know, i will never stay just glued to russian music. yes we play music whrx a great composer. my heart okay heart is familiarsly beating but there is between this beat there is something what makes you full of emotion some composers make me feel i'm very touched and very involved. >> but there is to the one that speaks beyond all. >> no. >> that's why i made this decision a long time. it is terribly important for me to bring american music

and american artists here, he equally important to bring russian music and russian artists there. so it's very multi-coloured. my life is-- i love japan but i also love to be in china, very different countries, very very different, so to answer your question, i think we all have to love the world which was created by god and is meant to be multi meant to be multiidea logically t cannot be one given decided, had is the way are you going to think. the answer always will be no. we have to find the harmony. it was there maybe years ago it is there sometimes. we thank catherine the great, the fantastic art steck-- architects of the past, they are both poets architects philosophies and they are very generous to us. they gave us unbelievable gift which we enjoy every day. and this is what we all should do.

i find that i want to say that russian em pevere rohrs-- emperors being ger pan-- and italian architect we have a fantastic city museums now hermitage was built in again in-- became one of the best places for art anywhere in the world. but it is always very international. it's cooperation yes architect comes and says i will do it but it's a work together. leadership brings and investing in art is always better than investing in war. always. >> i'm honored to sit here in this theater. an also to speak to you. you are an ambassador for your country but are you also an ambassador for music. and thank you for taking the time. >> my pleasure as always. >> pleasure, thank you.

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