Russia to close Goethe-Institut branches after Germany shuts Russian House in Berlin
Branches of the Goethe-Institut in Russia will be closed in response to Germany’s decision to shut down the Russian House in Berlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, according to a report by the state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti. “The Germans have branches of the Goethe-Institut here — in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and…
Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, announced today at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok that the Goethe-Institut branches in Russia will be closing, following Germany's decision to shut down the Russian House in Berlin. The Goethe-Institut currently operates in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. Lavrov stated that Germany's actions were a clear indication of their withdrawal from cultural presence in Russia.
The closure of the Russian House in Berlin occurred after Germany blamed Russia for a hybrid attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August. Germany has also decided to close Russia's consulate general in Bonn and tighten entry controls for Russian citizens. The agreements governing the Russian House and Goethe-Institut are based on bilateral treaties, meaning that a closure of one institution can impact the other.
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