Finland's political leadership will not attend the Venice Biennale this year if the Russian pavilion is presented as planned.
This is reported by ARTnews.
Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture has said that Russia should not be allowed to participate in a national art exhibition “as long as Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine continues.”
However, some civil servants from Finland will still attend the event to support Finnish art and culture, Minister of Science and Culture Marie-Leena Talvitie said.
The European Commission recently initiated the procedure to freeze or cancel funding for the Venice Biennale due to the opening of the Russian pavilion. The organizations were given 30 days to clarify their position.
Calls to cancel Russia's participation
A group of MEPs had previously called on European Commission leaders to stop funding the biennale from EU funds unless Russia was removed from the list of participants, and demanded “restrictive measures against any individuals or organizations” involved in the preparation of the Russian pavilion.
Also, the heads of the ministries of culture and foreign affairs of 22 countries signed a joint protest against Russia's participation in the 2026 Venice Biennale. Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli expressed disapproval, refusing to visit the Central Pavilion in favor of a trip to Lviv.
The Biennale's position and who supports Russia's participation
The Venice Biennale , in response to a request from the Minister of Culture, Julie, noted that in allowing Russia to participate, “there were no violations of the rules, and the sanctions against the Russian Federation were fully complied with.”
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also criticized Brussels' position and did not object to Russia's involvement, while the president of the Veneto region , Alberto Stefani, called the EU's actions “unacceptable.” In his opinion, art should “facilitate moments of cultural dialogue that can become an opportunity to build ties, especially when official diplomacy cannot find solutions.”
Addressing Italian MEPs, he added: “Peace is not built through censorship, and freedom is not protected by limiting it. The Biennale is not a problem to be solved, but a space for dialogue to be protected.”
In addition, MEP Angelo Bonelli accused European institutions of applying double standards to current conflicts: “The European Commission raises its voice and threatens sanctions for Russia's presence, but remains silent and does not set any conditions for Israel's participation, despite the genocide committed in Gaza and over 70,000 deaths.”
Sanctions from Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree imposing sanctions on five Russian cultural figures linked to the pavilion, accusing them of justifying aggression and spreading propaganda. The sanctions include economic restrictions, an entry ban, and the suspension of cultural and scientific exchanges.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Culture, sanctions were applied to the following Russian citizens:
- Anastasia Karneyeva is the commissioner of the Russian Pavilion, the main organizer of the Russian Federation's participation in the Venice Biennale, appointed to this position for a term of eight years;
- Mikhail Shvydkoy — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, who initiated and publicly announced Russia's return to the Venice Biennale;
- Ilya Tatakov is a soloist of the Intrada and MusicAeterna ensembles;
- Artem Nikolaev is a soloist of the vocal ensemble Intrada;
- Valeria Oliynyk is a violinist with the Russian National Orchestra.
Russia at the Venice Biennale
Russia has been a regular participant in the Venice Biennale, having established its pavilion in 1914. However, its exhibition at the 59th Biennale in 2022 was cancelled on February 27 — a few days after the invasion.
In 2024, the Venice Biennale was again held without Russia's participation, but the country's pavilion hosted an exhibition of artists from South America, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Decolonization and Depatriarchalization of Bolivia.
On March 4, the organizers of the Venice Biennale announced the lists of participants who will open national pavilions. Among them is Russia, which has not participated since 2022.
The Russian national pavilion will be called The Tree Is Rooted In the Sky . The commissioner will be Anastasia Karneyeva , who was appointed to this position in 2021 for a term of 8 years. The exhibition will be located in the Giardini location.
About the Biennale
The Venice Biennale is one of the world's most renowned art forums, held every two years in Venice, Italy. It features thematic exhibitions of contemporary art and national pavilions. The event is known for its innovative approaches and experimental nature, and serves as an important platform for international artistic dialogue.
Ukraine has been participating in the Venice Biennale since 2001.
Koyo Kuo was chosen as the curator of the 61st Venice Biennale. However, she died in May 2025.
The exhibition “In Minor Keys” opened on May 9, as previously planned. It is being implemented by five advisors to Kuo, whom she herself chose: curators Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helen Pereira and Rasha Salty, critic Siddhartha Mitter and assistant Rory Tsapai. This decision was approved by the biennial with the curator's family.