Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Culture Tetiana Berezhna have issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s participation in the 2026 Venice Biennale, calling it an attempt to whitewash ongoing war crimes.
“The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s most prestigious art platforms and cannot serve as a stage for legitimizing the war crimes Russia commits daily against the Ukrainian people and our cultural heritage,” the statement reads, published Sunday on the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture website.
Since 2014, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s cultural heritage, the statement notes, in violation of international humanitarian law and the 1954 Hague Convention. The officials say that the full-scale invasion has killed 346 artists and 132 Ukrainian and foreign media workers, destroyed or damaged 1,707 cultural heritage sites and 2,503 cultural infrastructure objects, of which 558 were completely destroyed.
At least 35,482 museum items have been illegally removed by Russian forces, while more than 2.1 million items remain in temporarily occupied territories, at risk of destruction or illegal relocation. Direct losses to Ukraine’s cultural sector already exceed $4.2 billion, with total sector losses estimated at over $31 billion.
Sybiha and Berezhna stressed that Russia has long pursued a policy of erasing Ukrainian identity, dating back to the Russian Empire and Soviet era, and continues a systematic policy of cultural expansion and forced Russification in occupied territories. They highlighted that Russian officials openly use culture as a tool of political influence.
“Notably, the director of Russia’s Hermitage Museum, Mikhail Piotrovsky, called Russian cultural projects abroad a ‘special operation,’ confirming that Russian cultural presence often serves to legitimize aggression,” the statement says.
The Ukrainian officials criticized the Biennale organizers for reversing their previous stance. Just days after the 2022 invasion, the Biennale condemned Russia’s full-scale aggression and supported peace and dialogue.
“It is unclear why the organizers’ position is changing now, when Russia continues the war, rejects peace efforts, and relies on terror and atrocities,” the statement reads. “Allowing Russian representatives at international art events sends a dangerous signal of support for aggression and normalization of genocidal policies.”
Sybiha and Berezhna called on the Venice Biennale to reconsider Russia’s reinstatement, emphasizing that culture in Russia is inseparable from the militaristic regime.
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The Biennale website confirmed that Russia will participate in 2026 for the first time since 2022, presenting a project titled The Tree is Rooted in the Sky.
Ukraine’s pavilion co-curator Ksenia Malykh told Radio Kultura that Russian artists and institutions have sought international platforms since the full-scale invasion, sometimes repositioning artists or presenting them as representatives of other countries.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gintautas Budrys also condemned Russia’s participation, aligning with Ukraine’s position.
