Several German politicians are demanding the closure of the cultural center «Russian House» in Berlin-Mitte. This demand came amid new accusations that the institution may be used as a cover for Russian intelligence services. «This house is a symbol of our weakness and Russian influence», stated Roderich Kiesewetter on Welt TV, a politician from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who deals with foreign policy issues. He also added: «We are not closing it because, on the contrary, we believe that then the Goethe Institutes in Russia will be closed. But: so what? Then they will simply be closed».
A spokesman for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday recalled the existing bilateral agreements between Germany and Russia regarding real estate issues. These agreements also concern the Goethe Institute in Moscow, so both institutions are «directly related». According to the ministry, part of the agreements stipulates that Germany and Russia pay property taxes for the respective facilities in Berlin and Moscow. The ministry noted that these agreements cannot be easily canceled.
Espionage suspicions and unusual activity
Last week, a joint investigation by WDR and «Süddeutscher Zeitung» reported on an assessment by the French Ministry of the Interior, according to which the «Russian House» «is used by Russian intelligence services as a cover». Similar accusations against this institution, founded in 1984, have been made before. At that time, the «Russian House» responded to a request by stating that it is a «cultural institution» and its activities are based on existing bilateral government agreements.
Roderich Kiesewetter also pointed out that the energy consumption in the institution is significantly higher than one would expect given that 100 people live there. «The cultural offering is strange, but we assume that due to the high electricity consumption, there is technically complex equipment, and there may also be people whose presence serves Russian interests», said the CDU politician.
The Chair of the Defense Committee of the European Parliament, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), also spoke out in favor of closing the institution. She told the newspaper «Welt»: «Right in the middle of Berlin sits, I will say this very clearly, an enemy of freedom — and we are watching. And this is unbearable». The spokeswoman for the «Greens» faction in the Bundestag on defense policy, Sara Nanni, told the television channel: «We are allowing Russia to lead us by the nose». According to her, one of the steps Germany could take would be to close the «Russian House». Nanni noted that what Germany is currently demonstrating is «pure weakness».
Source: Der Spiegel
