EU warns Venice Biennale over Russia pavilion, sanctions risk

The European Commission has warned Italy that allowing Russia to participate in the Venice Biennale could breach EU sanctions, escalating a dispute ahead of the event’s opening.

In letters to Rome and the biennale’s organisers, seen by the Financial Times, Brussels said including Russia’s national pavilion—owned by the Russian government—could violate restrictions on “providing services” to the Kremlin.

“By not respecting EU sanctions, Biennale has called into question its obligation to ensure respect of EU values,” the Commission’s culture agency wrote. In a separate letter to the Italian government, it added that “any cost that Russia is covering to enable the Russian delegation of artists to participate at the biennale benefits the biennale, and appears to qualify as indirect provision of economic support.”

The move by Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco to allow Russia to exhibit for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine has put Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government under pressure. Kyiv said the event “must not become a stage for whitewashing the war crimes that Russia commits daily against the Ukrainian people and our cultural heritage.”

The Commission has requested “clarifications on the arrangements between the biennale and the Russian government” and set a 30-day deadline for a response. A spokesperson said EU-funded cultural events must uphold democratic values “not respected in today’s Russia.”

Brussels had already threatened in March to withdraw a €2 million grant, calling the decision “not compatible with the EU’s collective response.”

The biennale said it had complied with all regulations, while Buttafuoco defended the decision on free speech grounds. Meloni said she disagreed but stressed the foundation’s autonomy: “I wouldn’t have made this decision in his place.”

The Russian pavilion, operated by Smart Art, will be open only to invited guests during previews and closed to the public once the exhibition officially opens.

By Tamilla Hasanova