Russia to open 11 more ‘Russian Houses’ worldwide — as Germany closes one in Berlin
Rossotrudnichestvo has agreed to open 11 new “Russian Houses” abroad, agency head Igor Chaika announced.
Eight of the new houses will open in African countries, and the network will expand into the CIS for the first time as well, though Chaika did not specify which countries.
Chaika said the “Russian Houses” will now be judged by concrete results: how well they promote the Russian language and Russian education, and how many cultural, youth, scientific, and humanitarian projects they carry out.
The “Russian Houses,” run by Rossotrudnichestvo, are meant to promote Russian culture and function as a tool of “soft power.” They operated in many European countries before the full-scale invasion began, and many remain open today — a “Russian House” has long operated in Berlin, for instance.
On September 1, German authorities stated they held Russia responsible for a sabotage attack at Leipzig Airport and, as a retaliatory measure, would close the “Russian House” as well as Russia’s consulate general in Bonn. Russia responded by announcing the closure of the Goethe-Institut and the German consulate in St. Petersburg.
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