The European Education and Culture Executive Agency terminated a €2 million grant for the Venice Biennale. The decision was made after Russia’s pavilion resumed operating in a limited format at the exhibition in the spring.
European Pravda reported this, citing European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier.
The termination of funding followed a legal assessment and a recommendation from the European Commission.
“Cultural events funded by European taxpayers must uphold democratic values, promote open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression — values that are not respected in today’s Russia,” Regnier said.
In July, the European Commission recommended that the agency cancel the grant for Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia over its decision to allow the Russian pavilion to reopen for the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The procedure to terminate the funding was launched after Biennale Foundation President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco confirmed that the Russian pavilion would return to this year’s exhibition.
The foundation was initially given 30 days either to reverse the decision or present arguments that could halt the cancellation of the grant. The European Union later requested additional official explanations regarding the nature of Russia’s participation in the event.
More than 20 European countries called for Russia to be excluded from the Venice Biennale. Ukraine also urged the organizers to reconsider the decision and maintain the position they had followed in 2022–2024.
