EU may strip Venice Biennale of funding over return of Russian pavilion
Kyiv • UNN
The EU is halting exhibition funding due to the admission of the Russian pavilion. Organizers have 30 days to provide an explanation to save the agreement.
The European Commission has initiated a procedure to suspend or terminate a grant agreement with the Venice Biennale after the decision to allow the Russian pavilion to participate. This concerns a 2 million euro contract, which was designed for three years. This was stated during a briefing in Brussels by the European Commission's spokesperson for defense, space, and disinformation, Toma Regnier, as reported by UNN.
According to him, the EU governing agency has already sent an official letter to the Venice Biennale Foundation, informing them of its intention to cease funding.
I can confirm that a letter has been sent regarding our intention to suspend or terminate the current 2 million euro grant
Brussels emphasized that the decision to allow the Russian pavilion to participate in the exhibition provoked a sharply negative reaction from the European Commission.
Our position is very clear. We strongly condemn the fact that the Biennale allowed the Russian pavilion to reopen
According to him, the current grant is the only active financial agreement between the EU and the Venice Biennale. That is why its cancellation will mean the actual cessation of European funding for this project at the current stage.
At the same time, the European Commission clarified that as of now, no payment under this contract has yet been made.
Separately, Brussels has already addressed the Italian government with an official letter regarding the situation around the Russian pavilion. The Italian side has provided a response, which is currently being analyzed by the European Commission.
In addition, the Venice Biennale itself was given 30 days to explain its decision to reinstate Russian participation. If the organizers' arguments do not satisfy Brussels, the grant agreement may be finally terminated.
Recall
Ukraine called for Russia not to be allowed to participate in the Venice Biennale. A joint statement on this was made by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy - Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna.
As reported by UNN, the Russian pavilion is planned to open at the 61st festival (May 9 - November 22, 2026). This is Russia's first participation in the exhibition since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine.