European Commission confirms withdrawal of €2m grant to Venice Biennale over Russian pavilion

The European Commission has formally confirmed the withdrawal of a €2 million grant awarded to the Venice Biennale, an international art exhibition, for the 2025–2028 period. The decision follows the reopening of the Russian pavilion at this year's exhibition.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, announced on X that the grant withdrawal procedure was initiated in April last year after Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of the Biennale Foundation, confirmed the pavilion would reopen. In the first stage, the Commission gave the foundation 30 days to either abandon the plans or provide arguments to stop the withdrawal. Subsequently, the European Union requested additional official clarifications about the true nature of Russia's participation.

Virkkunen now stated that the Commission has formally recommended that the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) terminate the grant. "This follows a thorough assessment of the replies from the Biennale to justify the re-opening of Russia's pavilion. Culture in Europe – funded with taxpayers' money – should promote and safeguard democratic values. These values are not respected in today's Russia," she said.

Over 20 European countries have called for Russia to be barred from the Venice Biennale. Ukraine urged the organizers to reconsider their decision on Russia's participation and uphold the principled stance they maintained from 2022 to 2024.