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Latvia Bans Entry to Putin Envoy and Daughters of Sergey Lavrov and Rostec Executive After Biennale Row
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Latvia has added three Russian nationals to its list of individuals banned from entering the country, citing their links to Russia’s participation in the Venice Biennale, Latvian media outlet Baltijas Balss reported on April 27.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže announced that the individuals—Mikhail Shvydkoy, Anastasia Karneeva, and Ekaterina Vinokurova—have been declared persona non grata and barred from entering Latvia.
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“I have decided to include 3 RF citizens on the LR undesirable persons (persona non grata) list and prohibit Mikhail Shvidkoy, Anastasia Karnayeva, and Yekaterina Vinokurova from entering for an indefinite period,” Braže said.
According to Baltijas Balss, Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that all three individuals are connected to Russia’s representation at the Venice Biennale. Shvydkoy, who currently serves as Putin’s special representative for international cultural cooperation, was identified as one of the key advocates for Russia’s participation in the exhibition.
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Karneeva, the newly appointed commissioner of the Russian pavilion, is also the daughter of a senior executive at the Russian state corporation Rostec and a former FSB general. Vinokurova, who is the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is active in the art sector, serving as director of Christie’s Russia and co-founder of the Smart Art company, which operates as the official organizer of the Russian pavilion.
On March 3, Mikhail Shvydkoi announced that the Russian pavilion is scheduled to open in May 2026, stating that “Russia never left the Venice Biennale.”
“The very presence of our pavilion—regardless of what takes place there, whether exhibitions by our Latin American friends or the hosting of an educational centre for the entire Biennale—means the presence of our country in Venice's cultural space. Therefore, since we have not gone anywhere, we are not ‘returning’. We are simply seeking new forms of creative activity in the current circumstances,” he said.
Later, on April 21, Latvia’s Minister of Culture, Agnese Lače, has said she will boycott the opening of the Venice Biennale if Russia takes part.
Representing a joint position backed by 25 European countries calling for Russia’s exclusion, Lače voiced strong opposition to Moscow’s participation and stated she would not attend the event’s opening on May 9 if Russia is included.
The Latvian Ministry of Culture also warned that allowing Russia to participate would grant the aggressor state “legitimacy through a major European cultural platform supported by European funding.”
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