Russia to close Goethe-Institut branches after Germany shuts Russian House in Berlin

Russia will close Goethe-Institut branches in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg after Germany decided to shut the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Lavrov said the closure of the Russian cultural centre meant Germany's cultural presence in Russia would also come to an end, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

The previous day, Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechaev, said German authorities had ordered employees of the Russian House in Berlin to leave the country within seven days.

The decision followed an August 4 incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, where a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian military transport aircraft. Investigators later found another drone and about 50 grams of explosives.

German authorities subsequently accused Russia of organising the act of sabotage.

That led Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to announce the shuttering of the Russian facilities. The country also will tighten border controls for Russian nationals.

Russia has denied responsibility. “They concluded that the drone resembled those used by Russia and, on the basis of that assumption, took this decision,” Lavrov said.

The Goethe-Institut has long been a key German cultural institution in Russia, promoting the German language and supporting educational and cultural programmes, from exhibitions and film screenings to lectures and academic exchanges.

Its activities have been reduced in recent years as relations between Berlin and Moscow have deteriorated following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

By Aghakazim Guliyev