Russian maestro and conductor at the Mar

Russian maestro and conductor at the Mariinsky theatre Valery Gergiev (C) gestures after a concert on August 21 in Tskhinvali to back independence from Georgia. A concert of Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich conducted Gergiev rounded off a day of events intended to show defiance in the face of Georgia's pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili and promote South Ossetia's desire to break from Georgia and integrate with Russia. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY KOSTYUKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY KOSTYUKOV/AFP via Getty Images)