The Russian Pavilion will be closed to the public for most of the 2025 Venice Biennale, opening only during the pre-opening vernissage (May 5–8) for live performances tied to the exhibition “The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky.” After May 9, the pavilion will remain closed, with digital documentation displayed in the windows. The compromise follows weeks of pressure from European cultural and political figures—including Italy’s culture minister—to shutter the pavilion due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Plans were confirmed via email correspondence between Biennale Foundation president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, general director Andrea Del Mercato, and Russian Pavilion commissioner Anastasia Karneeva, as reported by Italian outlets Open and La Repubblica.
The decision matters because it reflects the ongoing tension between cultural diplomacy and political sanctions in the art world. Russia’s return to the Biennale—its first since invading Ukraine in 2022—has sparked sharp backlash, with the European Union threatening to withdraw €2 million in funding and Ukraine sanctioning five individuals tied to the pavilion. The partial closure represents a fragile compromise, but the controversy highlights how major international exhibitions remain battlegrounds for geopolitical conflicts, especially as Ukraine also returns to the Biennale this year.