Germany terminates lease for Berlin's Russian House
Germany has announced the termination of the lease for the Russian House in the heart of Berlin. Critics have long said it is a hub for propaganda and espionage.
The German government will terminate the lease for the Russian House in Berlin, as retaliation for Russian involvement in a drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. The Russian House, located on Friedrichstrasse, has been a source of tension between the two nations since its opening in 1984. Originally intended to celebrate German-Russian relations, it has been criticized for hosting events with alleged pro-Russian propaganda content.
The property tax for the building is paid by Germany, according to the bilateral agreement on property issues relating to cultural institutes. The Russian House is operated by the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is currently on the EU sanctions list since 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Despite this, the Russian Federation claims the building is a cultural embassy celebrating friendship between the two countries, attracting 200,000 visitors annually. The German government fears retaliation by Russia closing the Goethe-Institut in Moscow, an institution also under scrutiny for alleged violations of sanctions.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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