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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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Ukraine hits another roadblock in its fight to reform the courts

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Judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine during a session in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 16, 2023.

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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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Amid Iran war, Ukrainian drone makers fear Zelensky risks missing 'window of opportunity'

Ukrainian Sting drone interceptors in an undated photo.

Ukraine’s drone industry is abuzz with anticipation of a deal that would allow them to sell interceptor drones abroad, hoping for the first big relaxation of wartime export restrictions that would finally put their technology in the hands of foreign militaries amid the U.S. war with Iran. But President Volodymyr Zelensky is seemingly holding out for a deal over PAC-3 missiles, an anti-air munition for Patriot systems that are uniquely good at defending against Russian ballistic attacks. The re

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