Russia’s return to the Venice Biennale has triggered backlash and a threat to pull E.U. funding. Meduza explains how the forum was designed for soft power from the start.

For the first time since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia plans to reopen its national pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The Kremlin’s delegate for international cultural cooperation, Mikhail Shvydkov, confirmed to ARTNews that Russia will put on an exhibition starting in May for the 2026 event. Shvydov claimed that Russia “never left” the Biennale, despite its decision to rent out its pavilion instead of organizing national exhibitions. While the Biennale’s organizers never for...