Pussy Riot and Femen storm Russian pavilion at Venice Biennale
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Independent · May 6
Pussy Riot and Femen storm Russian pavilion at Venice Biennale
11 articles · Updated · Kyiv Independent · May 6
On 6 May, about 50 Pussy Riot activists in pink ski masks entered the Venice building, while Femen protesters set off blue-and-yellow smoke bombs, waved Ukrainian flags and were tackled by police.
The groups said it was their first joint public protest, denouncing the Kremlin-funded pavilion over alleged ties to Russia's military-industrial complex and the war in Ukraine.
Russia's return to the Biennale had already sparked outrage, with Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova urging organisers to showcase Russian political prisoners instead.
Banned as 'extremists' at home, can Pussy Riot's provocative art in Venice actually challenge Putin's grip on power in Russia?
With its jury resigned and awards canceled, has the Venice Biennale lost its artistic soul by platforming an aggressor state?
Venice Biennale 2026 Crisis: Jury Resignation, EU Funding Cut, and the Fallout from the Russian Pavilion Protest
Overview
In May 2026, the Venice Biennale's decision to readmit Russian artists sparked a major protest by Pussy Riot and FEMEN at the Russian pavilion, where activists disrupted the opening with smoke flares and chants condemning Russia's war in Ukraine. This protest, combined with the international jury's resignation over Russia and Israel's participation, led to intense political pressure from the EU and Italian government, including a €2.3 million funding cut and inspections. As a result, the Russian pavilion was closed to the public, and the Biennale replaced its traditional awards with public voting. These events exposed deep tensions between artistic freedom and political responsibility, challenging the future of national pavilions amid global conflicts.