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

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What Trump’s easing of Russia oil sanctions means for Putin’s war spending

The easing of sanctions on Russian oil by the White House could land the Kremlin $150 million a day to fund its war machine in Ukraine, U.S. Democratic senators have warned. "President Trump's decision to provide sanctions relief to Russia is yet another example of how Putin has been one of the prime beneficiaries of President Trump's poorly conceived and executed war against Iran," Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jeanne Shaheen, and Chuck Schumer said in a March 13 statement shared with the Kyiv In

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.
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