A scandal erupted at the 82nd Venice Film Festival after the Russian tricolor was displayed among the flags of participating countries. The flag of the aggressor state was placed at the main entrance and near the red carpet, right next to the Ukrainian banner, reports Baltimore Chronicle citing Associated Press.
The incident provoked a sharp reaction from Russian-born artist Kateryna Margolis, who resides in Venice and openly supports Ukraine. She condemned the display of the symbol of a state committing daily war crimes, calling it “a disgrace and a dangerous trend when culture is used to justify crimes.” In her statement, Margolis added: “The Venice Film Festival is a disgrace when a fascist Russian flag is displayed at the entrance.”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture issued a joint statement demanding the immediate removal of the tricolor, emphasizing that under this flag Russia continues its war against Ukraine and carries out mass killings of civilians.
The appearance of the Russian flag is likely linked to the out-of-competition screening of Alexander Sokurov’s film Director’s Diary, which was included in the festival’s program by the organizers.
This is not the first controversy over Russian cultural presence at the Venice Film Festival. In 2023, the screening of a film by Yulia Trofimova — a former employee of Russia Today who had illegally stayed in occupied Donbas — sparked significant criticism.
Earlier we wrote that Zelensky appoints Olha Stefanishyna as Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S..