European Authorities Cancel Venice Biennale Grant Over Russian Participation

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, July 22, 2026

European authorities have withdrawn a 2 million euro grant from the Venice Biennale due to the inclusion of Russia in this year’s event, citing concerns that Russia’s participation conflicts with European democratic values amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The funding cut underscores the continued cultural and political tensions surrounding Russia’s presence in international events and reflects the EU’s stance on supporting initiatives that align with its principles.

European authorities have withdrawn a multi-year funding grant from the Venice Biennale over the inclusion of Russia in this year’s event, citing concerns that Russia’s participation conflicts with European values amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The European Commission announced the cancellation of a 2 million euro (approximately $2.3 million) grant on Tuesday. Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the commission, emphasized that cultural events supported by European taxpayers should uphold democratic principles, promote open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression—values he said are currently not upheld by Russia.

The Venice Biennale, a prominent international art exhibition showcasing national pavilions, has faced controversy regarding Russia’s involvement since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response to the conflict, the Biennale initially declared it would exclude official Russian delegations, institutions, or representatives connected to the Russian government as long as the war continued. Consequently, Russia did not participate in the 2022 and 2024 editions.

However, in March 2024, the Biennale announced Russia’s return to the event, which opened in May and runs through November 22. The Russian pavilion, featuring an exhibition titled “The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky” that included performances by Russian and other musicians, was only open to visitors during the show’s preview week. The pavilion drew protests, including demonstrations by Pussy Riot, the Russian dissident art collective. Following the preview week, public access to the pavilion was blocked, though visitors can still view video recordings of the performances through windows and vote for Russia in the Visitor’s Lion award for the best national pavilion.

The Biennale stated that the funding canceled by the European Commission was dedicated to projects unrelated to Russia’s participation in the event, and the loss of the grant would not significantly affect the overall Biennale budget.

In response to the funding withdrawal, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, condemned the move as an attempt to "cancel" Russian culture. Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, Peskov described efforts to marginalize Russian cultural presence as a regrettable development, highlighting Russia’s cultural heritage as one of the “richest civilizational cultures on Earth.”

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.