KI short logo

Culture

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

More from Culture

NewsLetters

News Feed

Japan breaks into Ukraine’s drone market for first time as Tokyo confronts regional threats

A Tokyo-listed drone firm is breaking with the trend of Japanese companies avoiding Ukraine's defense industry by partnering with interceptor drone producer Amazing Drones, the first Japanese company to invest in the sector. The investment — undisclosed in size — will fuel a major production scale-up at Kharkiv-based Amazing Drones, with Terra Drone using its decade-long experience to handle supply chains, marketing, and global expansion, the company said at a launch event in Kyiv on March 31.

These Russians fought for Ukraine. Then, they faced risk of deportation — to Russia

In September 2023, Russian national Igor Boichenko swam across a river and crossed a minefield to enter Ukraine from Russia. Boichenko was one of thousands of Russians who came to Ukraine that month. What was unique about him is that he didn't come to fight Ukrainians — but rather, to join their ranks. He signed a military contract and served as a sniper against his homeland. Then, he found himself locked up in a migration jail, under threat of being sent back, to the country he signed up to

Russian volunteers in Ukraine face legal limbo and the threat of deportation to Russia.

US lifts sanctions on 3 Russian-flagged cargo ships

Such actions are "not indicative of a broader shift in the U.S. Russia policy," a U.S. Treasury spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent, adding that OFAC regularly updates its sanctions list by adding or removing individuals and entities.

Trump's NATO doubts are a 'gift' for the Kremlin

Failing to strong-arm NATO member states into joining his country's war against Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump has once again questioned the need for the alliance's existence. "We would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?" Trump said at an investment forum in Miami last week. His chief diplomat, Marco Rubio, doubled down on March 30, saying Washington "will have to reexamine" its relationship with NATO countries after the war

About Culture

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.

Read more

Most Popular

Editors' Picks

News Feed