Berlin residence linked to Anton Chekhov alleged to be Russian secret operative under Putin's influence
Controversy Surrounds the Russian House in Berlin
The Russian House in Berlin, a cultural institution that has been operating since 1984, is currently under scrutiny due to accusations of being a platform for Russian propaganda. This controversy has led to calls for its closure from Ukrainian activists and some German politicians.
Alexander King, the BSW state chairman, has visited the Russian House to form his own impression. Despite the allegations, King expressed his belief in the importance of maintaining relations with Russia and its people. He argues that closing the Russian House would have negative effects on relations between Germany and Russia.
The Russian House, designed by architect Karl-Ernst Swora, resembles buildings in Moscow more than the Palace of the Republic and the high-rise dormitory of the Charité University Hospital, both also designed by Swora. The institution has hosted a variety of events, including a performance of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard."
However, a study conducted by the Ukrainian Institute in Kyiv on Russian cultural diplomacy in Germany mentions several instances where the Russian House has hosted events containing fabrications and exaggerated claims. For example, the presentation of the book "Neonazis and Euromaidan" in 2014 and the showing of the film "Donbass" in 2018 have raised concerns.
The exhibition at the Russian House is currently about Alexander Schmorell, a member of the anti-fascist resistance group "White Rose." On display is a photo showing Schmorell in a Wehrmacht uniform with Hans Scholl on the Eastern Front, as well as a copy of a White Rose leaflet from January 1943, warning against Nazi propaganda.
The Russian House is not carried by the agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which is on the sanctions list. However, the Ukrainian Institute also mentions that the chief editor of the right-wing Compact magazine presented a collection of speeches by Vladimir Putin to the Germans at the Russian House in 2014.
German authorities have investigated the Russian House for violations related to the Foreign Trade and Payments Act. The Berlin Prosecutor’s Office maintains ongoing investigations into possible violations connected to the Russian House tenants and unspecified individuals, highlighting concerns over its activities.
The Russian House employs around 60 people and has annual maintenance costs of 100,000 euros, with the money coming from the state budget. It attracts around 300,000 visitors per year, with around 50% being people whose native language is Russian or German.
Berlin MP Alexander Freier-Winterwerb (SPD) and Bundestag MP Robin Wagener (Greens) have spoken out in favor of closing the house. Wagener does not want the Federal Republic to continue paying the ground rent for the area, which was 70,000 euros last year.
This controversy occurs amid a broader deterioration in Russian-German relations. Russia recently ended a nearly 30-year defense cooperation agreement with Germany, citing what it calls Germany’s "hostile policy" and "aggressive military plans," particularly in light of Germany’s strong support for Ukraine.
Izvolskiy, the director of the Russian House, explains that the institution's mission has been to build bridges between Germans and Russians since 1984. Alexander Schmorell, a member of the anti-fascist resistance group "White Rose," was born in September 1917 in Russian Orenburg and was executed in the summer of 1943. The Russian House currently has ten exhibitions running, some for three months, others for a year, and one for the 40th birthday of the institution.
This situation reflects increased geopolitical tensions between Russia and Germany driven by the war in Ukraine and diminished bilateral cooperation. The future of the Russian House in Berlin remains uncertain as investigations continue and calls for its closure persist.
- Despite Alexander King's defense of the Russian House in Berlin as a crucial avenue for maintaining relations with Russia, there's ongoing controversy over allegations of it serving as a platform for Russian propaganda, with instances of fabrications and exaggerated claims in events hosted there.
- Cultural travel is not immune to political tension, as demonstrated by the ongoing controversy surrounding the Russian House in Berlin, where events have been criticized for promoting war-and-conflicts-related content, such as the presentation of the book "Neonazis and Euromaidan" in 2014 and the showing of the film "Donbass" in 2018.
- Amidst the deterioration of Russian-German relations due to the war in Ukraine and diminished bilateral cooperation, general-news media have closely followed the investigations into the Russian House in Berlin, a cultural institution, for possible violations of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act, questioning its role in spreading propaganda and its impact on lifestyle within the German community.
