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Ukraine Calls Russia’s Return to Venice Biennale an Attempt to Whitewash War
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Deputy Minister of Economy Tetiana Berezhna have called Russia’s potential participation in the Venice Biennale unacceptable, warning that one of the world’s most influential art platforms must not become a space for legitimizing war crimes committed against Ukraine.
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“The Venice Biennale—one of the world’s most influential art platforms—must not become a space for whitewashing the war crimes Russia commits daily against the Ukrainian people and our cultural heritage,” the officials said in a joint statement.
In a joint statement, the officials said Russia has waged a systematic campaign against Ukrainian culture and heritage since the start of its aggression in 2014, and particularly since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
“Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has waged a systematic war against Ukrainian culture, identity, and historical memory,” the statement reads.
The officials added that Russian forces have illegally removed at least 35,482 museum artifacts from occupied Ukrainian territories, while more than 2.1 million cultural items remain under threat of destruction or illegal transfer in areas currently controlled by Russia.
Direct damage to Ukraine’s cultural sector already exceeds $4.2 billion, while overall losses are estimated at more than $31 billion, according to Ukrainian government assessments.
The statement also emphasized that Russia has historically used culture as a political tool. It referenced comments by Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of Russia’s State Hermitage Museum, who previously described Russian cultural initiatives abroad as a “special operation,” suggesting that cultural projects can serve geopolitical objectives.
“Russia openly uses culture as a tool of political influence, and its cultural presence abroad is often part of a broader state policy aimed at legitimizing aggression,” the statement said.
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Ukrainian officials warned that allowing Russian representatives to return to international cultural platforms could send a dangerous signal by normalizing the country’s ongoing war and alleged war crimes.
“Under these conditions, allowing Russia to return to international cultural events would send a dangerous signal—normalizing aggression and tolerating Russia’s war crimes,” the officials said.
The criticism comes after reports that Russia plans to reopen its national pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, marking the first such participation since the start of the full-scale invasion. The exhibition is expected to be titled “The Tree Is Rooted In the Sky,” with Anastasia Karneeva listed as commissioner of the Russian pavilion.
Sybiha and Berezhna also expressed concern about reported links between Karneeva and Russia’s military-industrial complex, arguing that the case highlights the close relationship between cultural institutions and the Russian state.
The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s most prestigious international art exhibitions, held in Italy since 1895 and featuring national pavilions representing dozens of countries.
The Ukrainian officials called on the organizers of the Biennale to reconsider any decision allowing Russia to participate and to maintain the principled stance demonstrated in 2022–2024 following the start of the full-scale invasion.
“We call on the organizers of the Venice Biennale to reconsider the decision to allow Russia’s return and to maintain the principled position demonstrated in 2022–2024,” the statement concludes.
Earlier, it was reported that the sculpture “Origami Deer” by Zhanna Kadyrova, which was safely evacuated from the frontline, will begin a tour across six European countries this March before being presented at the Ukrainian Pavilion during the 61st Venice Biennale.
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