Moldovan Parliament votes to shut down “Russian House” in Chișinău

The Parliament of Moldova has voted in favour of shutting down the “Russian House” cultural centre in Chișinău, a key institution representing Russian soft power in the country.

The bill, approved in its second reading with 57 votes, clears the way for the termination of the centre’s activities.

According to NewsMaker, the draft was prepared at the request of Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Russian drones violated the country’s airspace in February 2025. Lawmakers noted that the centre was opened in 2009 based on an agreement with Russia, while Moldova never established a similar centre in the Russian Federation, which undermines the balance of the agreement.

The Russian cultural centre operates under the Russian Embassy and is funded by Rossotrudnichestvo, which the EU considers a key tool of the Kremlin’s soft-power projection and hybrid influence, including the promotion of the “Russian World” concept. Parliament argued that the agreement could be used to disseminate distorted narratives, posing a threat to Moldova’s information security.

The initiative to close the “Russian House” gained renewed momentum after the parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government in November 2025. The decision comes in response to recent incidents involving Russian drones crashing on Moldovan territory after attacks on Ukrainian ports.

By Vugar Khalilov