Germany is considering shutting down the Russian House, a prominent state-run cultural institution in Berlin, amid concerns that Moscow could be using the facility as a cover for intelligence operations.
The German Foreign Ministry said it was conducting a “comprehensive” review of the institution’s legal status over Russia’s activities targeting German organizations involved in cultural exchange, German newspaper Welt reported.
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The Russian House, formally known as the Russian Institute of Science and Culture, is located in central Berlin and has long served as a major cultural and diplomatic hub for Moscow. It was once the largest Russian cultural institution abroad.
Calls to close the center intensified after France’s Interior Ministry last month published a document alleging that Russian intelligence services were using the facility as a cover for espionage operations, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
From Soviet-era cultural center to security concern
The Russian House opened in 1984 in communist East Germany, when its stated mission was to promote friendship with the Soviet Union through cultural programs and exchanges.
Its role has come under growing scrutiny since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with German officials and security experts raising concerns over its potential use for Russian propaganda and intelligence activities.
The center is managed by Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian government agency subordinate to the Foreign Ministry. The agency was placed under European Union sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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The Russian House currently operates under a 2011 agreement between Germany and Russia. Berlin can withdraw from the agreement in June 2027, provided it notifies Moscow by Dec. 6, according to Deutsche Welle.
Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechaev warned that shutting the center could prompt Moscow to retaliate against Germany’s cultural institutions.
Closure could trigger Russian retaliation
Shutting the institution could create a diplomatic dilemma for Berlin, as Moscow could respond by imposing further restrictions on German cultural institutions operating in Russia.
The Goethe-Institutes in Moscow and St. Petersburg have already faced restrictions on staffing and their ability to provide German-language courses.
The debate over the Russian House comes as Germany moves to strengthen its intelligence services in response to what officials describe as a growing hybrid threat from Russia.
Last week, Berlin approved an intelligence reform that would give German security agencies broader powers, including new capabilities to respond to cyber threats.
Germany and other European governments have increasingly accused Moscow of conducting espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns across Europe since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.