Vladimir Putin’s pal waves the PR baton in Ossetia

Just how good a friend of Vladimir Putin is Valery Gergiev (pictured), the London Symphony Orchestra’s principal conductor, who staged a Russian victory concert amid the ruins of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali last night? Well, it appears a very good one. Gergiev, 55, is godfather to the Russian Prime Minister's two daughters, Maria Putina and Yekaterina ‘Katya’ Putina, an honour Putin has reciprocated for one of the musician’s own children.

The bonds between the two men are said to be exceedingly strong, sometimes extending to little favours like the loan of a private jet to ferry the conductor to an international concert venue. Putin also showed his support for his friend in 1999 by attending a service for the conductor's second marriage, to Natalya Debisova, who is 27 years his junior and, like Gergiev, a native Ossetian.

Described as having a Rasputin-like presence, Gergiev is as much a master of spin as he is the baton. As the more cynical observers of last night’s concert remarked, his address to the audience – "If it wasn’t for the help of the Russian Army here, there would be thousands and thousands more victims. I am very grateful as an Ossetian to my country, Great Russia, for this help" – could have been written by the Kremlin press office.