Russia's Venice Pavilion to Close to Public After EU Sanctions Pressure

The Russian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale will only be open to visitors during the pre-opening vernissage from May 5 to May 8, after which it will close to the public on May 9. Screens at the pavilion's windows will display multimedia documentation of performances. This decision comes amid EU threats to withdraw funding, calls for boycotts, and significant backlash. Emails released by Italian media, including Open and La Repubblica, show that discussions about Russia's participation began in June 2025. In November 2025, Del Mercato assisted curator Petr Musoev in obtaining a visa. On April 27, the Biennale Foundation emphasized its adherence to regulations. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli announced he would skip the preview days and demanded the resignation of MiC board member Tamara Gregoretti. The international jury stated it would not consider nations with leaders facing ICC charges, excluding Russia and Israel. Russia is returning after missing two Biennales, as artists Kirill Savchenkov and Alexandra Sukhareva and curator Raimundas Malašauskas withdrew in 2022 in protest of the Ukraine invasion.