The Russian House in Chisinau has ceased operations
5 July 08:16
The Russian Center for Science and Culture (Russian House) in Chisinau ceased operations on Saturday, July 4; it had been operating in the Moldovan capital under an agreement signed with Russia in 1998. The agreement provided for an extension of its term every five years, but this time the Moldovan authorities did not exercise that option. Igor Chaika, head of the federal agency “Rossotrudnichestvo,” announced this on the day of the closure, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
It is noted, however, that a representative of the Russian House will remain as part of the Russian Embassy in Moldova.
“The work to select foreign students for study at Russian universities under quotas set by the government of the Russian Federation will not stop; plans include holding other events in the field of international humanitarian cooperation,” the statement said. Chaika added that “Rossotrudnichestvo” continues to work “on the issue of further cooperation.”
Russian Embassy in Moldova: Some of the Russian House’s functions will be transferred to us
Representatives of the Russian Embassy in Moldova confirmed that some of the functions of the closed Russian House, as provided for by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, “will be carried out by the cultural department” of the diplomatic mission.
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“We will continue to give priority attention to strengthening traditional Russian-Moldovan humanitarian ties in accordance with the 2001 Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation,” the embassy’s statement said.
The Moldovan authorities announced plans to close the Russian House in February 2025
In February 2025, the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the unilateral denunciation of the Moldovan-Russian intergovernmental agreement on the establishment and operation of cultural centers, signed in 1998 and which entered into force in 2001. The reason for the termination was the violation of the country’s airspace by Russian attack drones. A vote on the denunciation of the agreement took place in the country’s parliament in November 2025.
Russian Houses operate in many countries around the world, including most European nations. However, some countries are deciding to close these institutions. For example, in early February 2025, it was announced that the Russian House in Baku would be closed. The decision was made amid deteriorating relations between Russia and Azerbaijan following the crash of an “Azerbaijan Airlines” plane in Aktau, Kazakhstan, which came under fire from Russian air defense systems. In 2023, the Romanian government closed the Russian House.
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