The Russian pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale will not be open to the public due to anti-Russian sanctions, according to a document scheduled for delivery to Italy’s Chigi Government Palace on Monday.
Minutes from the meeting involving the Biennale Foundation’s lawyer, Deborah Rossi, state that the opening day (May 5-8, 2026) is a private invitation-only event. This means the Russian Federation cannot obtain permission from authorities to host its pavilion during the exhibition, rendering it inaccessible to the general public.
The international jury of the Venice Biennale resigned on April 30 following the Foundation’s decision to allow Russian participation in the festival. On March 12, the European Commission’s press service officially condemned this inclusion.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the withdrawal of a €2 million grant by the Venice Biennale as “a relapse into Western anti-culture” on April 23.
