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Latvia to Skip Venice Biennale Opening if Russia is Allowed to Participate
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Latvian Minister of Culture, Agnese Lače, has announced that she will boycott the opening of the Venice Biennale if Russia participates in the event, according to Politico on April 21.
As the leader of a collective stance shared by 25 European nations calling for Russia’s exclusion, Lače expressed strong opposition to Moscow’s participation, emphasizing that she would not attend the Biennale’s opening on May 9 should Russia be involved.
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The Latvian Ministry of Culture has further stressed that allowing Russia to participate would grant the aggressor state “legitimacy through a major European cultural platform supported by European funding,” as reported by Politico.
It also raised concerns about the individuals associated with the Russian pavilion, noting their links to Russian government structures and pro-Kremlin narratives.
In response to this, 37 Members of the European Parliament have also urged the European Union to suspend its funding for the Venice Biennale, which amounts to an estimated €2 million ($2.2 million) over three years. They have called for a review of potential sanctions against individuals linked to the Russian pavilion.
According to Politico, the Venice Biennale defended its decision, stating that it remains a platform for dialogue where art is separated from politics. However, increasing numbers of European politicians are questioning the legitimacy of cultural neutrality while the Russian war in Ukraine continues.
On March 17, it was reported that the Venice Biennale, under the leadership of Pietrangelo Buttafoco, provided Italy’s Ministry of Culture with all the requested documentation concerning the Russian pavilion.
The submission followed an urgent request from Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, who sought to verify whether any aspects of the pavilion’s logistics, materials, or financial operations might violate the sanctions.
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Minister Giuli’s inquiry aimed to assess if the installation of the Russian pavilion could potentially breach the EU sanctions imposed on Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
According to Adnkronos, the sanctions do not prevent Russian artists from participating in international cultural events, as long as their involvement does not involve state-linked entities or financial support.
In its response, the Biennale assured that “no rules were violated, and sanctions against the Russian Federation were fully respected.”
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Additionally, Italy’s Minister of Culture has called for the resignation of the government’s representative on the Venice Biennale board, following a political disagreement over Russia’s plans to reinstate its pavilion for the 2026 exhibition.
As reported by Artnews, Giuli expressed a lack of confidence in Tamara Gregoretti, who has been on the Biennale’s board since March 2024. Giuli criticized Gregoretti for not informing the Ministry ahead of time about the potential participation of Russia in the upcoming event.
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