Pussy Riot and FEMEN protest at Russian Pavilion during Venice Biennale 2026

On May 6, 2026, at 10:30 AM, Pussy Riot and FEMEN staged a joint protest at the Russian Pavilion during the 61st Venice Biennale. The action, led by Nadya Tolokonnikova and Inna Shevchenko, denounced Russia's participation as normalization of propaganda amid the war in Ukraine. The activists, wearing Pussy Riot's iconic pink balaclavas with black X's, occupied the space in front of the pavilion. They chanted 'Blood is the only Russian art' and played the song 'DISOBEY'. The protest was unannounced, with no official press conference. Security was unprepared, and the Russian ambassador was reportedly inside. Tolokonnikova stated she had sought dialogue with Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, Luca Zaia, and Luigi Brugnaro to exclude Russia, but received no response. Shevchenko declared that every Russian artwork in Europe is tainted by war. This was the first joint action by the two groups, criticizing the Biennale for legitimizing Russia while the war continues.