“Cultural events funded by European taxpayers’ money should protect democratic values, promote open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression – values that are not respected in today’s Russia,” said European Commission (EC) representative Thomas Regnier, announcing the decision.
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The largest contemporary art exhibition opened in May. Russia is participating in the Venice Biennale for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Previously, Russia was removed in protest against its war.
Kyiv and the EU protested against the change, which Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna compared to “inviting a maniac killer to dinner with your friends.”
The international jury of the event resigned in protest against the inclusion of the Russian pavilion.
BNS reported that even earlier, culture and foreign ministers from 22 countries, including Lithuania, signed a joint statement prepared at Latvia’s initiative, urging the Venice Biennale to reconsider its decision to allow Russia to participate.
The organizers stated that the Biennale was founded on the principles of “openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship.”
The Russian pavilion was open only for the first week of previews; the Biennale itself runs until November.
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