Russia to close Goethe-Institut in response to Germany’s decision to shut down Russian House in Berlin

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russian branches of Germany’s Goethe-Institut cultural center will close, citing Germany’s decision to shut down the Russian House in Berlin. Lavrov stated that Germany's actions against Russia, in response to the Leipzig Airport sabotage, constitute "conscious steps that unambiguously mean the end of their cultural presence in the Russian Federation."

The Goethe-Institut, a non-governmental organization promoting the German language and international cultural cooperation, maintains three branches in Russia, located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. The Moscow branch, the oldest at 30 years old, opened on October 8, 1992 and provided German language exams to Russians.

Germany accused Russia of involvement in the sabotage attempt near a Ukrainian transport plane at Leipzig Airport, discovered early August, which prompted their retaliatory measures. These included closing Russia’s consulate general in Bonn and the "Russian House" in Berlin, as well as increasing entry controls for Russian nationals.