Germany is reviewing the status of the Russian home in Berlin, but one deal complicates things.

Germany is reevaluating the legal status of the Russian House in Berlin after French authorities linked the cultural institution to possible activities involving Russian intelligence services. The Russian House, located in central Berlin, operates under the state-run agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which has been under European Union sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These sanctions have raised questions about the continued legitimacy of the Russian House’s operations within Germany, despite existing bilateral agreements between the two countries. The issue resurfaced early this August following reports that France had connected the Russian House with potential intelligence work. This prompted the German government to reassess the international legal foundation of the institution. According to Martin Giese, spokesperson for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the federal government is conducting a comprehensive review of the legal basis of the Russian House. However, any actions taken against the Russian House would be complicated by existing bilateral agreements between Germany and Russia. These agreements include two key documents regulating the operation of cultural institutions in both countries. A 2013 agreement outlines the locations of the Russian House in Berlin and the Goethe Institute in Moscow, binding both nations to specific obligations. Among these are commitments to cover property taxes for buildings used by the partner country’s institutions. Additionally, the agreement grants immunity from enforcement measures to buildings serving official state purposes, prohibiting either party from selling or transferring such properties without the other’s consent. A separate intergovernmental agreement on cultural cooperation, signed in December 1992 and effective since May 1993, continues to apply. This five-year agreement automatically renews unless one party notifies the other at least six months before its expiration. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine entering its fifth year, both agreements remain valid. In contrast, several other bilateral agreements between Germany and Russia have been terminated, suspended, or ceased to produce legal effects since the start of the invasion. These include the military-technical cooperation agreement, which ended in July 2025, and the double taxation avoidance agreement, whose key provisions were suspended by Russia in August 2023. The cultural cooperation agreement emphasizes the commitment of both parties to maintain and promote broad social and cultural ties. Article 1 mandates that contracting states “support and encourage state, social, and other initiatives aimed at further developing comprehensive cultural cooperation and partnerships at all levels.” Article 2 ensures that “all interested persons are given wide access to culture, including art, literature, and history of the other country,” while Article 14 guarantees that states will “promote the establishment of cultural institutions of the other contracting party within their territory and facilitate their functioning.” The Goethe Institute, Germany’s leading organization for promoting the German language abroad and fostering international cultural exchange, has faced restrictions in Russia. Since May 2023, the institute was forced to significantly reduce its activities due to limitations imposed by Russian authorities, which included reducing the number of German staff in Russia. Earlier that year, accounts of the Goethe Institute in Russia were frozen at the request of the Central Bank of Russia, following an investigation initiated by German prosecutors into alleged espionage activities linked to the Russian House. The situation highlights the complex web of legal and diplomatic considerations surrounding the Russian House in Berlin. While Germany seeks to address concerns over potential intelligence activities, it must navigate the constraints imposed by long-standing bilateral agreements. Any move against the Russian House could trigger immediate consequences for the Goethe Institute in Moscow, underscoring the delicate balance required in managing cultural relations amid geopolitical tensions.