Foto AP/Luca Bruno Pussy Riot and FEMEN activists hold a protest in front of the Russian pavilion against Russia's presence at the Venice Biennale 2026.
About 50 demonstrators wearing pink balaclavas surrounded the Russian pavilion in Giardini Gardens, releasing puffs of pink, blue and yellow smoke into the air – colors associated with the Ukrainian flag. The activists chanted slogans such as “Blood is the art of Russia” and “Do not submit,” sang punk songs and blocked the entrance to the pavilion for nearly half an hour, The Associated Press reported. Italian police prevented the protesters from entering the pavilion; the rally ended without clashes or detentions.
Pussy Riot founder Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said Russia’s return to the Biennale four years after the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine was a symbol of the Kremlin’s “soft power.” According to her, Moscow uses cultural projects as a tool of political influence on the West.
Russia is one of 29 countries that have their own pavilion in the historic Giardini complex. The Russian pavilion is considered one of the oldest: it was built in 1914, 19 years after the Venice Biennale was founded in 1895.
Russia’s participation in the 2026 Biennale has become one of the most controversial topics of the artistic season. The decision by the organizers to allow the Russian pavilion has drawn sharp criticism from part of the art community and led to an unprecedented crisis within the exhibition itself. Earlier, the international jury, consisting of five women, announced its refusal to award prizes to countries whose leaders are under investigation by the International Criminal Court. All members of the jury have since resigned.
Amid the conflict, the European Union also stopped funding the project, which, according to the organizers, resulted in a loss of about 2 million euros. At the same time, protests are also taking place against Israel’s participation – Palestinian activists hold actions near the pavilions in Giardini.
Despite the pressure, the Biennale management maintained the same position, saying that the exhibition should remain a space of artistic dialog even in the context of global conflicts. The Russian pavilion continues to work, although most of the events are held in a closed format and are accompanied by enhanced security measures.
The Pussy Riot action only reinforced the sense of political division that accompanies the current Biennale. The events surrounding the Russian exposition have once again shown how closely contemporary art is linked to world politics.
