March 4, 2026
Russia to be represented at the Venice Biennale for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
This May, Russia will open its pavilion at the Venice Biennale for the first time since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine

TL;DR
- Russia's pavilion at the Venice Biennale will open in May, the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- In 2022, Russian artists withdrew from the Biennale, citing the war as unbearable.
- The new project, 'The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky,' involves over 50 young artists and intellectuals from Russia and other nations.
- Former Minister of Culture Mikhail Shvydkoy views the participation as a failure of Western attempts to 'cancel Russian culture.'
- The Venice Biennale leadership stated they do not decide on national pavilion participation.
- The Israeli pavilion will also open in May, but will be relocated.
- The article mentions the Russian Paralympic Committee recruiting disabled war veterans for national teams.
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