Russia Opens 11 New Russian Houses Amid Berlin Closure
Russia is opening 11 new Russian Houses in countries across Africa, the Caucasus, and Southeast Asia, expanding its international network by nearly 50%, while Germany closes its Russian House in Berlin following accusations of a drone attack on Leipzig Airport.
Consensus
- Rossotrudnichestvo signed agreements to open 11 new Russian Houses abroad.
- The new Russian Houses will be located in 10 countries: Armenia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Thailand, and Togo.
- Eight of the new Russian Houses will be in African countries.
- The work of the Russian Houses will now be evaluated based on specific results, including promotion of the Russian language and education, as well as cultural, youth, scientific, and humanitarian projects.
- The expansion increases the total number of Russian Houses to 36.
- Germany closed its Russian House in Berlin in early September 2026 after accusing Russia of orchestrating a failed drone attack on Leipzig Airport.
- Russia responded by closing the Goethe-Institut and the German consulate in St. Petersburg.
- A grant program for international projects in education, culture, science, technology, and youth will be launched in 2027.
- Rossotrudnichestvo is exploring ways to attract non-budgetary funding from major business.
- The network previously consisted of 25 Russian Houses in 22 countries.
Points of divergence
- Igor Chayka signed the agreements after a statement by German Foreign Minister Joachim Wuelfing on September 1, 2026, about Russia's involvement in the Leipzig airport drone attack. — tg_echoonline_news
- The new Russian Houses will be evaluated based on concrete results in promoting the Russian language and education, and implementing cultural, youth, scientific, and humanitarian initiatives. — kommersant
- The Russian House in Berlin had been operating for a long time before its closure. — meduza
- Igor Chayka stated that the network is being increased by half. — tg_tvrain
- The agreements were signed in the Public Chamber of Russia. — vedomosti
- Igor Chayka was born in Irkutsk on December 13, 1988, and his father, Yuri Chayka, was a regional CPSU committee official at the time. — tg_echoonline_news
- Igor Chayka's companies were valued at 300–318 billion rubles by mid-2010s, and he transferred shares to trust management in October 2022 while remaining the ultimate beneficiary. — tg_echoonline_news
- The names of Igor and his brother Artem Chayka were replaced with codes 'LSDU3' and 'YFYA9' in Rosreestr after a 2015 investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation. — tg_echoonline_news
- Igor Chayka was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2021 for allegedly helping undermine President Maia Sandu of Moldova and acting as an intermediary in forming an alliance between the Shor Party and Dodon's Socialists. — tg_echoonline_news
- Igor Chayka was added to the EU sanctions list on May 30, 2023, for the same reasons. — tg_echoonline_news
- Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Alexei Dumin emphasized the importance of promoting Russian culture abroad and the role of Russian Houses in preserving cultural heritage and historical memory. — vedomosti
- In August, the Minister of Higher Education of Syria Marwan al-Halabi met with Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Alexei Kleschev in Damascus to discuss academic and humanitarian cooperation and the resumption of the Russian Cultural Center in Damascus. — vedomosti
Coverage (7 sources)
- Portrait of the Day: Igor Chaika, head of 'Rossotrudnichestvo', which plans to open 11 new Russian Houses — ЭХО / Новости
- Rossotrudnichestvo will open 11 new Russian Houses — Коммерсантъ
- Russia plans to open 11 new Russian Houses amid the closure of one in Berlin — ЭХО / Новости
- Russia will open 11 more "Russian Houses" around the world (while German authorities close one in Berlin) — Meduza
- Russia will open 11 more "Russian Houses," increasing the network by almost 50% — Дождь (Telegram)
- Russia will open 11 more "Russian Houses", increasing the network by almost 50% — Дождь
- Rossotrudnichestvo will open 11 new Russian Houses — Ведомости
Key entities
- Rossotrudnichestvo
- Igor Chayka
- Armenia
- Russia
- Thailand
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Kenya
- São Tomé
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Africa
- Sierra Leone
- Senegal
- Principi
- Togo