Russian Oligarchs Step Down from Guggenheim and Royal Academy Trusteeships Amid Ukraine War Boycott Pressure

Vladimir Potanin has resigned from his two-decade role as a Guggenheim Museum trustee, with the institution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Petr Aven, a banking magnate and collector close to Putin, will leave his position at London's Royal Academy, which is returning his recent donation for a Francis Bacon exhibition. The Tate faces scrutiny over Viktor Vekselberg's honorary membership in its foundation, though the museum denies any ongoing connection. Phillips auction house, owned by Russian luxury-goods company Mercury Group, faces calls for a collector boycott due to its Russian ties, though founders Leonid Fridlyand and Leonid Strunin aren't on sanctions lists. The Venice Biennale has banned official Russian delegations and individuals tied to the government from its events. In classical music, conductor Valery Gergiev and opera singer Anna Netrebko have had performances canceled over their support for Putin. UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries suggested arts could form 'the third front in the Ukrainian War.'