Palmyra concert live: Russian orchestra plays in Isis-ravaged Syrian city

A Russian orchestra is to play in the ruins of Palmyra, Syria, just weeks after regime forces seized back the ancient city from Islamic State (Isis). Controversial conductor Valery Gergiev is to lead Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky symphonic orchestra at the Roman amphitheatre, which was once used as stage for IS (Daesh) executions.

"Music brings ancient walls alive on the site of the world-famous amphitheatre of Palmyra in Syria," the theatre said, adding that the concert was entitled "Praying for Palmyra". Troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad ,supported by Russian warplanes, recaptured the 2000-year old city once known as the "pearl of the desert" on 27 March, ten months after it was overrun by the jihadi group.

During its rule over the Unesco World Heritage site, Isis blew up temples, tombs and shrines that it considered blasphemous. Below you can watch the concert live from RT.