Pussy Riot block access to Russia’s pavilion at Venice Biennale: “Russia kills! Biennale Exhibits!”
Pussy Riot joined forces with Ukrainian feminist activists FEMEN to protest against Russia’s inclusion at the Venice Biennale on Wednesday (May 6th).
They made their voices known by blocking the opening of the Russian pavilion while donned in pink balaclavas, causing Italian police to close the doors as they protested outside the building.
According to Art News, they shouted, “Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!”, as well as “Disobey! Disobey! Disobey!”, “Blood is Russia’s art!”, “Art for show, graves below!”, and “Slava Ukraini!”
In a statement, Pussy Riot’s creator, Nadya Tolokonnikova, said of the protest, “Russia’s best citizens are either imprisoned for anti-regime and pro-Ukraine actions or killed in jail, while Europe opens its doors to Putin’s officials and propagandists.”
She added, “If art is meant to represent a country at the Venice Biennale — something like the Olympics of the art world — then artists imprisoned for their anti-war, pro-Ukraine stance are the real face of modern Russia.”
Tolokonnikova also offered the following proposal to organisers of the Biennale, “If art should truly outshine censorship, we offer a plan for imprisoned artists (current and former) (link) to represent Russia at the Venice Biennale in 2028. We offer our curatorial services.”
The Pussy Riot leader added, “All we need is Russia’s pavilion to be handed from the illegal terrorists that currently wage the largest war in Europe since World War 2, to those who have spent years in the GULAGs of this oppressive regime, and who explicitly support Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
She then called upon those involved in the Venice Biennale “to meet with us and discuss the best way to move forward.”
Meanwhile, FEMEN’s Inna Shevchenko said of the protest, “We say it clearly: RUSSIA KILLS — BIENNALE EXHIBITS. BLOOD IS RUSSIA’S ART”.
Shevchenko continued, “Every Russian artwork shown this year stands on an invisible pedestal: Ukrainian blood. You won’t find it in the catalogue. But it is the only material that truly holds this pavilion together.”
The Ukrainian activist implored the Venice Biennale to also “exhibit its crimes” in relation to Russia, adding, “Show the bombed Ukrainian cities. Show the graves. Show the bodies — civilians, mutilated, without limbs, forever changed.”
She powerfully concluded, “Otherwise, this is not art. This is propaganda. And you are part of it.”
Russia’s inclusion in the Venice Biennale in 2026 marks the first time it has been allowed to participate since the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last week, the international jury resigned en masse over their inclusion, and the decision to allow Russia to compete also caused the European Union to cut funding to the Venice Biennale.
Notably, last month, Pussy Riot’s Tolokonnikova was added to Russia’s federal wanted list after being indicted following an investigation carried out by Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Additionally, in late 2025, the masked Russian feminist collective was labelled as an extremist organisation in Russia, with officials in the country having banned its activities.
