Diana and Alexander Linnikov attended the opening ceremony of the Franco Zeffirelli Centre

The opening ceremony of the Franco Zeffirelli International Centre for Theatrical Arts and Cinema took place in Florence on July 31, 2017. The Centre instituted by the Franco Zeffirelli Foundation is set in one of the historical landmarks of the capital of Tuscany – the San Firenze Palace. For over 150 years the building served as a courthouse. Now the legendary palazzo has become home for museum, library and archive of Maestro Zeffirelli and a study for the gifted young artists of theatre and cinema.

The event set in the magnificent hall of the San Firenze Palace was attended by the President of the Franco Zeffirelli Foundation Giovanni Letta, Minister of Culture of Italy Dario Franceschini, actor Robert Powell who played the part of Jesus Christ in Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus from Nazareth and many other friends admirers of the great Maestro. The ceremony featured a concert by tenor Andrea Boccelli and the Voices of Haiti children’s chorus.
The creation of the Franco Zeffirelli Centre and the unique exhibition of the Maestro’s etudes for the film Inferno became possible thanks to the support of GUM Red Square and personally Mikhail Kusnirovich. The co-operation agreements between Mr. Kusnirovich, the Bosco di Ciliegi group and GUM were drafted by the law firm of Linnikov & Partners.