Germany's Goethe-Institut will close all Russian branches by September 13 amid one of the worst spats in the history of relations between Russia and Germany.
The Russian foreign ministry ordered the closure of the German cultural centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk in response to Berlin's reaction to the attempteddrone attackat Leipzig airport in early August. The German authorities blamed Moscow for organizing the attack and announced sanctions. They include closing the Russian culture and education center in Berlin, known as the Russian House, and the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, as well tightening visa restrictions for Russian citizens.
"All employees must cease their work in Russia as of September 13, 2026," Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut Gitte Zschoch said in a statement. "No more books can be borrowed from our libraries, and no further training can be offered. German language teachers are losing an important source of professional training and support. For people in Russia, this further restricts access to the German language, culture and reliable information from and about Germany."
The library of the Goethe-Institut's Moscow branch won't be accessible anymore after September 13 eitherImage: Timur Gusarov/TASS/picture alliance
