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A Venetian Gothic facade adorned with banners for the 2026 Venice Biennale, in Venice, Italy, on Feb. 25, 2026.
Culture

What's on at the Venice Biennale? Russian soft power

by Kate Tsurkan

In the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian pavilion is set to return to the Venice Art Biennale with a “musical festival come to life” that serves as “a space for dialogue and exchange.” The pavilion was effectively canceled in 2022 after the artists and curator chosen to represent Russia withdrew in protest of the invasion. At the time, the organizers of the Biennale released a statement praising the decision and condemning “all those who use violence to prevent

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Thursday, March 19

Ukraine war latest: Major Russian aircraft manufacturing plant hit in Ukrainian strike, General Staff says

Key developments on March 18: * Major Russian aircraft manufacturing plant hit in Ukrainian strike, General Staff says * Ukraine hits Russian aircraft repair plant in Novgorod Oblast, military reports * Command post of elite Russian Rubikon drone unit hit in occupied Donetsk, Ukraine says * Russian drones hit SBU office in western Ukraine's Lviv Oblast Ukraine's General Staff said that its troops had struck an aircraft manufacturing plant in Russia's Ulyanovsk Oblast, located about 800 kil

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Russian police officers guard the entrance to Penal Colony No. 2, in Pokrov, Russia, on April 6, 2021.

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Our reporting on literature, films, art, and traditions from Ukraine and the latest news on culture in Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian culture
Ukrainian culture has survived centuries of Russian attempts to appropriate Ukrainian art, silence Ukrainian artists, and erase the Ukrainian language. Modern Ukrainian writers, filmmakers, and musicians — some of whom are serving on the front lines — continue to develop Ukrainian culture and fight for Ukraine’s future.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for 4th consecutive day

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for 4th consecutive day

Key developments on March 17: * Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for 4th consecutive day, launching at least 40 in latest strike * 'No region can feel safe' — Russia's ex-Defense Minister Shoigu raises alarm over Ukraine's drone strikes * Russia slams 'EU warmongers' for not backing Trump's war against its ally * 201 Ukrainians now in Middle East helping counter Iranian drone attacks, Zelensky says Russian air defenses intercepted 206 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight on

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