Russia to Shut Goethe-Institut Centres in Tit-for-Tat With Germany

Russia has announced the closure of all Goethe-Institut cultural centres on its soil, a direct response to Germany's decision to halt operations at a Russian cultural centre in Berlin. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the move on Thursday, stating that the centres in Moscow, St Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg would be shut down.

The escalation follows a diplomatic row over a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Germany has blamed on Russia. Moscow has denied involvement, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Berlin of planting evidence to frame Russia.

Lavrov framed the German action as a deliberate provocation, saying Berlin "could not have failed to understand" the consequences of its step, which he said marks "the end of their cultural presence in Russia." He noted that the Goethe-Institut centres had remained open "despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West."

The first Goethe-Institut in Russia opened in Moscow in 1992, shortly after the Soviet Union's collapse. The move echoes a similar 2018 decision when Russia ordered the closure of the British Council following a diplomatic dispute with the UK.

Earlier, Lavrov's deputy, Alexander Grushko, had warned that Russia would retaliate "very soon" over the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, a step that was part of Germany's broader response to the drone incident.