Russia at the Venice Biennale: EU urges ending 2 million euros in funding

Brussels – The European Commission has taken a clear stance on Russia’s participation in the Venice Biennale. The Commission has recommended to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which has the final say, that the 2 million euros in European funding earmarked for the International Art Exhibition be terminated. The announcement came on Saturday evening (11 July) via a post on X from the Executive Vice-President for Democracy, Henna Virkkunen. “Culture in Europe – funded with taxpayers’ money – should promote and safeguard democratic values.  These values are not respected in today’s Russia,” the Commissioner wrote. The European Commission’s recommendation “follows a thorough assessment of the replies from the Biennale to justify the re-opening of Russia’s pavilion,” Virkkunen added.

The incident dates back to 4 March 2026, when the president of the Venice Biennale Foundation, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, defended the decision to admit Russia to the 61st International Art Exhibition. “In response to the communications and requests for participation from Countries, La Biennale di Venezia rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art,” he had stated. The decision had prompted a reaction from Brussels. In two letters sent on 10 and 30 April, the European Commission had asked the Foundation for clarification, warning that Russia’s participation could constitute a “breach of the conditions of the European grant” of 2 million euros awarded to support the Biennale.

The Foundation’s decision has sparked fierce controversy, not least because it marks Russia’s return to the Biennale for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the two previous editions of the International Art Exhibition, in 2022 and 2024, the Russian pavilion remained closed.

Despite the dispute with the European Commission, the 61st Biennale opened its doors on 9 May, and the Russian pavilion remained open. Not without protests. The decision now lies with the EACEA, the agency responsible for managing European programmes in the fields of education and culture, which must decide whether to follow the EU Commission’s recommendation and permanently withdraw funding. The agency, as previously reported, had already come out in favour of withdrawing the funds.