Russia to close branches of Germany's Goethe-Institut

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Thursday that Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centers would be closing their branches in Russia. The closures would take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg, as reported by Russian news agencies TASS and Interfax. Lavrov cited Germany's responsibility for an attempted drone attack at the Leipzig/Halle Airport as the reason for the decision.

This response followed Germany's own actions in closing a Russian cultural center in Berlin and a Russian consulate in Bonn.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow for the drone attack incident. In his statement, Lavrov emphasized that the closure of the Goethe-Institut centers would mark the end of their cultural presence in Russia. Despite the ongoing tensions, he noted that the centers had remained open throughout the various complications with Ukraine.

Established in Moscow in 1992, Russia's first Goethe-Institut opened shortly after the Soviet Union's collapse. In 2018, Russia had ordered the closure of the British Council following a diplomatic disagreement with the UK. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko informed reporters on Wednesday that Moscow would retaliate "very soon" regarding Germany's closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn.