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Ukraine Sanctions Five Organizers of Russian Pavilion at Venice Biennale
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Ukraine has officially introduced sanctions against the organizers and participants of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 305/2026 on April 9, 2026, which enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council regarding personal economic and restrictive measures.
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The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine initiated the decision, which targets five individuals involved in Russia’s participation in the 61st Venice Biennale.
Russia returned to the Venice Biennale for the first time since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Their project, titled "A Tree is Rooted in the Sky," featured a musical performance with more than 50 participants. Mikhail Shvydkoy, the special representative of the Russian president for international cultural cooperation, initiated the return.
L’Ucraina ha imposto sanzioni a cinque rappresentanti del padiglione russo alla Biennale di Venezia⬇️ https://t.co/6wIc01waZy
— Ukr Embassy to Italy (@UKRinIT) April 10, 2026
The move sparked significant international debate. Twenty-two European countries signed a letter to the leadership of the Venice Biennale requesting a review of Russia’s participation.
The European Commission also considered suspending funding for the event, while members of the European Parliament described the presence of the Russian Federation as unacceptable.
"The participation of representatives of the aggressor state in the Venice Biennale is not a neutral cultural act. This is a targeted information and propaganda operation by Russia, which has all the signs of ‘normalizing the aggressor’ and creating conditions for the restoration of its cultural presence on the international stage despite the ongoing war against Ukraine," stated Tetiana Berezhna, the Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
She noted that they identified 34 participants of the Russian pavilion in a short period. This research supported the subsequent actions of the Ministry of Culture, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the National Security and Defense Council.
"This case clearly illustrates: the so-called representatives of Russian culture on the international stage have hidden connections and motivations that pose a threat to national and collective European security," said Lukyan Galkin, head of the Molfar Intelligence Institute.
The sanctions apply to five people directly involved in the Russian pavilion. These individuals include Anastasia Karneeva, the commissioner of the Russian pavilion and its main organizer, who was appointed to the position for eight years.
Mikhail Shvydkoy is also sanctioned for his role in initiating Russia’s return. Other sanctioned individuals include Ilya Tatakov and Artem Nikolaev, who are vocal soloists, and Valeria Oleinik, a violinist in the Russian National Orchestra.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine continues to work on isolating the Russian Federation from international cultural platforms.
On March 2026, the Venice Biennale organizers announced Russia’s participation in the exhibition for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion. This decision sparked significant political backlash and controversy within Italy and across Europe.
Although individuals connected to the Russian government had been barred from the event in 2022, the Biennale leadership stated that they rejected all forms of censorship for the current season. Among those representing the Russian pavilion was commissioner Anastasia Karneeva, the daughter of a former high-ranking official at the Russian defense corporation Rostec.
Karneeva had previously co-founded an art consulting firm with the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and maintained professional ties with Leonid Mikhelson, whose company has supported the Russian Ministry of Defense during the war.
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