In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a broad wave of protests, boycotts, and rejections of Russian artworks erupted globally, as cultural institutions, festivals, and art organizations sought to distance themselves from Russian artists and works seen as complicit in or supportive of the Russian state. The invasion sparked a heightened awareness of the role art and culture play in both reflecting and shaping national identities, leading to significant cultural pushback against Russia’s use of art for political propaganda.
1. Cultural Institutions Rejecting Russian Art and Artists
Across Europe, the United States, and beyond, cultural institutions took a stand against Russian art and artists, canceling exhibitions, performances, and events that involved Russian creators or were seen as supportive of the Putin regime.
The Venice Biennale: In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s most prestigious art exhibitions, became a focal point for protests. Russian artists were forced to withdraw or face calls for boycotts. Many Russian participants, who were set to exhibit, decided not to take part, while those who did were met with protests. The international art community sought to isolate Russian art in response to the Kremlin’s war, and the Biennale became a microcosm of the broader cultural resistance.
Museum Exhibitions: Major museums across the globe, such as the Tate Modern in London, the Louvre in Paris, and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, reevaluated their relationships with Russian artworks and artists. Several exhibitions featuring Russian artists, whether contemporary or historical, were either canceled or postponed. Some museums removed works by Russian artists from their public displays as a symbolic gesture to distance themselves from the Russian state. For example, works by artists such as Kazimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky, who were seen as part of Russia’s cultural heritage but distanced from the Putin government, were sometimes removed or recontextualized in an attempt to navigate the complexities of their legacy.
2. Protests Against Russian Art in the Public Sphere
Public art installations and sculptures, especially those funded or backed by Russian entities, also faced protests and removal.
Cultural and Diplomatic Spaces: Russia’s cultural centers abroad, like the Russian Cultural Centre in London or the Russian Embassy in Paris, became focal points for protests. Public displays of Russian art in these spaces or other diplomatic contexts were viewed as politically charged. Protests often called for the removal of statues and artworks celebrating Russian history or political figures, such as the statue of Peter the Great in some European capitals. In some instances, murals and statues were defaced or removed by activists in response to the war.
Statue of Pushkin in New York: One notable protest took place when Ukrainian activists and their supporters in New York City called for the removal of a statue of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin, while revered for his literary legacy, became a symbol of Russia’s imperial past, and critics argued that the statue’s presence in the U.S. capital of culture was a tacit endorsement of Russian imperialism. While the statue was not removed, the protest highlighted the tension between art as culture and art as political expression.