Tit for tat: Russia freezes German Goethe Institut accounts

In the week that followed the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Russky Dom, the Russian House of Science and Culture in central Berlin, became the target of various attacks by persons unknown. Eggs were thrown at the windows, the wall was daubed with hate speech and members of staff encountered hostility.

As opposed to the Russian Embassy not far away on the boulevard Unter den Linden, the huge 1980s concrete building in the Friedrichstrasse was not protected by guards, and thus could more easily be approached by people wanting to express their anger about the war in Ukraine.

For security reasons, those in charge decided to shut down operations until the situation had cooled down. But in September 2022, Russky Dom reopened, with its regular program of films, exhibitions and language courses. It was business as usual.

Not for Ukrainians in the city, however. In October, Vitsche — an association of young Ukrainian activists — conducted a "referendum" a la russe on whether the building should be "annexed" and handed over to Ukraine. Those who participated in the protest event responded with a resounding "yes."

Berlin prosecutors launch investigation into Russky Dom

Then, in January of this year, prosecutors in Berlin launched an investigation into the organization, whose accounts were frozen on suspicion of breaching sanctions. At the end of month, the Russian Foreign Ministry threatened to implement "reciprocal measures" against subsidiaries of the Goethe-Institut in Russia if access to the accounts was not granted and the situation was not "normalized."

The accounts of the Goethe-Institut in Russia were frozen at the end of March. On its website, the Goethe-Institut describes itself as "the globally active cultural institute" of Germany, promoting "cultural exchange, education and social discourse in an international context." It receives a large part of its funding from the German government and has three branches in Russia: in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.

Russky Dom in Berlin has a similar function. The seven-story building opened in 1984 when the fall of the Soviet Union was not yet imaginable and is the biggest Russian cultural center in Europe.

In 2018, the building held events to celebrate the football championship. As the host of the Men's World Cup, Russia presented itself as a country that was modern, open and cordial. The suggestion was that stereotypes of the past were had been overcome, and Russia was no longer a country to be feared.

EU sanctions affect Russian culture

Today, the situation is very different. The relationship to Russia and even to Russian culture, with its seemingly unpolitical character, has also been poisoned by the war in Ukraine. Last summer, the EU imposed sanctions on Rossotrudnichestvo, the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation. This Russian government agency, which claims to promote a better understanding of Russia abroad, also owns the Russian cultural center in Berlin.

Russky Dom boosted its security measures and continued its operations, manifesting conspicuous restraint with regard to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the international media started to show more interest in the building. In January, a Reuters investigation revealed that Russky Dom had purchased tickets for two pro-Russia activists living in Germany to travel to a conference in Moscow. They had reportedly co-organized pro-Russian protests in Germany. The two did not end up flying to the event.

Berlin prosecutors did not answer DW's questions on the status of the investigation against the cultural center. The director of Russky Dom was equally laconic. The Goethe-Institut also refused to comment but did confirm that the accounts of the Russian branches had been frozen and a solution was being sought.

German SPD lawmaker: 'Not very surprising escalation' 

For the moment, the Goethe-Institut branches in Russia remain open, as does Russky Dom in Berlin. However, all visitors have to go through a metal detector like at an airport and get past a bored security guard. This is not so common in Germany, but standard in Russia.

There were five exhibitions when DW visited on a Friday afternoon but only a handful of visitors. Russian culture is not in vogue these days.

The German SPD (Social Democrats) lawmaker Helge Lindh, who is also a member of the Bundestag Committee on Cultural Affairs, said that the freezing of the Goethe-Instituts accounts was "another, unfortunately not very surprising escalation."

"It is obviously in retaliation for the investigation against Russky Dom in Berlin. The Russian government is showing its dictatorial face," he said, adding that there was good reason to believe that the institution was not one of "democratic cultural exchange but closely intertwined with the political strategy of the Russian government, which is now waging a war of aggression."

He said that this was not a "completely new development" and that in the past there had also been "a deliberate strategy of using cultural policy, and also the culture of memory, to push through certain agendas and spread propaganda."

As to the politicization of Russian culture, he said that people faced a dramatic dilemma. He warned that not every Russian artist should be seen as collaborating with the regime in Moscow but said that he could see why the contracts of those who understood their work in terms of propaganda had been terminated.

"One cannot ignore the fact that this is a criminal war and that in this situation everything is political."

This article was translated from German.

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