Russian House in Berlin: A Cover for Putin’s Secret Services?
The Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin has long been a subject of controversy, widely regarded as an institution controlled by the Kremlin. Now, documents from French authorities, exclusively obtained by WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), explicitly label it as a front for Putin’s secret services. This explosive claim could force the German government to confront a long-standing issue.
The Expulsion of a Kremlin Propagandist
The investigation began with the case of Xenia Fedorova, the former head of the French branch of the Russian television channel Russia Today (RT). The French government considers Fedorova a Kremlin propagandist and influence agent, accusing her of deliberately spreading disinformation and fake news to divide European societies. Last week, the Interior Ministry in Paris issued an expulsion order against the 45-year-old Russian, and her assets have been frozen for six months. Although Fedorova challenged the decision, a French court upheld the authorities’ ruling.
The expulsion order against Fedorova, seen by WDR and SZ, states that the Russian, who has also worked for right-wing French media, engages in war propaganda for the Kremlin, contributing to disinformation and destabilization in Europe. Furthermore, the French Interior Ministry claims Fedorova “recently sought the position of director of the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin.”
And the ministry’s letter goes even further, asserting that the Russian House in Berlin “is used as a cover by the Russian secret services.”
A Long-Standing Controversy
This statement could put the German federal government in a difficult position. The Russian House of Science and Culture, located on Berlin’s Friedrichstraße, has been controversial for years. Opened in 1984, the institution is operated by the Russian government agency “Rossotrudnichestvo,” which falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and was sanctioned by the European Union (EU) in 2022 due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Officially, the House describes itself as a “significant cultural center” aiming to promote Russian culture and language and facilitate cultural exchange. It hosts exhibitions, concerts, language courses, and various events. Its stated goals are to “familiarize German visitors with important aspects and events of Russian culture and science” and to “support Russian compatriots living in Germany in preserving and developing their national and cultural identity.”
When asked for comment, the Russian House emphasized its purely cultural character, based on a bilateral government agreement between Russia and Germany. “Against this background, we do not comment on internal political discussions in Germany or statements by individuals, regardless of the country in which they were made.” They added, “We have no information that Ms. Fedorova is to become director of the Russian House in Berlin.”
Critics, such as Green Party Bundestag member Robin Wagener, view the House as a “propaganda center and instrument of the Russian information war” and demand its closure. German security authorities have not publicly linked the Russian House to Russian secret services, unlike the Russian Embassy and consulates, where intelligence officers often operate under diplomatic cover.
When asked whether the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) shared the French authorities’ assessment, a spokesperson stated: “The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution generally does not comment publicly on matters concerning intelligence findings or activities.”
The German government has largely avoided taking an overtly critical stance on the institution, reportedly to avoid provoking retaliatory measures from Moscow against German institutions. Sources within the Foreign Office suggest fears that Russia might close the remaining Goethe Institutes in Russia in response.
Sanctions and German Tax Money
Despite its operator being under EU sanctions, the Russian House is not forced to close. Funds can be used for maintenance, such as keeping the building in good repair and paying ongoing costs. The building, with approximately 30,000 square meters of usable space, also contains apartments, with over 100 residents reported in 2023.
Since the sanctions, the Russian House cannot freely dispose of its funds via its Bundesbank account; transfers must be approved by the German central bank, which requires proof of how the money is used, for example, for electricity bills. The House’s operators unsuccessfully challenged these restrictions last year.
Remarkably, the Russian House continues to receive money from the German federal budget. For 2026, 70,000 euros are earmarked for property tax payments. The Foreign Office states that Germany is fulfilling a legal obligation under the German-Russian cultural agreement for the Russian House in Berlin and the Goethe Institute in Moscow, signed in 2011. An additional agreement regulating property matters for cultural institutes has a 99-year term and cannot be unilaterally terminated.
Green Party politician Wagener demands that the “federal government must immediately end the financing of the Russian House.” He argues, “It would be a scandal if the Russian secret service continued to be supported with German taxpayers’ money. Therefore, we will apply for the deletion of the corresponding funds in the budget committee.”
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), MEP and chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence, also criticizes the German government’s handling of the Russian House. “If the new findings regarding its use as a cover for Russian intelligence services are true, which is to be assumed, then it can no longer be a cultural center, but is, as expected, a massive security risk in the heart of Berlin,” says Strack-Zimmermann. She calls on the German government to terminate the intergovernmental cultural agreement with Russia on which the operation of the Russian House is based.
Leadership Changes and Unanswered Questions
The former director of the Russian House, Pavel Izvolsky, unexpectedly resigned in the spring and subsequently left Germany. He had led the House since 2017. The reasons for his return to Russia are unclear. One possible reason is that his diplomatic status, granted by the Foreign Office, expired this year and was not renewed. The Russian House, however, states that the end of Izvolskiy’s nine-year tenure as director was a regular organizational process.
Izvolsky’s deputy has now provisionally taken over the leadership of the Russian House. Fedorova, who was expelled from France as a Kremlin propagandist, is unlikely to be the next director. Her current whereabouts are unknown. Her lawyer stated this week that she is not in France but abroad and plans to return only after the expulsion order is lifted. Fedorova’s lawyer did not respond to an inquiry from WDR and SZ regarding France’s allegations against his client.
This investigation raises critical questions for the German government and its approach to Russian influence operations within its borders. The alleged use of a cultural institution as a cover for intelligence activities, coupled with continued financial support from German taxpayers, demands immediate and transparent action.
Source: https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/russisches-haus-104.html
