All Goethe-Institut branches to cease operations in Russia — DW
All three branches of Germany’s Goethe-Institut in Russia — in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk — are expected to cease operations from September 13, 2026. As DW reports, Russia’s Foreign Ministry, of the aggressor state, ordered their closure.
Moscow made this decision in response to Berlin’s sanctions following an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August. German authorities accused Russia of organizing the attack and announced the closure of the Russian House in Berlin, Russia’s Consulate General in Bonn, as well as tighter visa restrictions for Russian citizens.
Libraries and education
Goethe-Institut Secretary General Gitte Zschoch said that all employees of the institution must stop working in Russia from September 13. The institute’s libraries will no longer lend books, while German language teachers will lose a source of professional training and support.
DW readers in Russia, who responded anonymously, said that the closure could make it more difficult to take exams for internationally recognized German language certificates. Some fear they will have to travel to other countries for testing, which would mean additional expenses. This could affect, in particular, late repatriates to Germany and families whose children study German and plan to study in Germany.
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At the same time, it remains unclear whether exams, language courses and educational programs will continue in Russia in another format or through partner organizations. Some respondents expressed hope that at least some services would be available online.
Consequences for teachers
German language teachers also reported losing an important source of teaching materials, modern literature and professional support. A teacher from Moscow Oblast said that her school had cooperated with the Goethe-Institut for more than 15 years, and that students attended additional courses and took certification exams.
According to the Goethe-Institut, around 10,000 people studied German through its programs and partnerships in Russia in 2025. Until 2023, this figure was approximately 16,000. In 2025, the institute administered around 22,000 exams, and its libraries were visited by 6,700 people.
A 2011 agreement between the governments of Russia and Germany regulates the operations of the Russian House in Berlin and Goethe-Institut branches in Russia. It provides for the necessary conditions for cultural centers to operate on a reciprocal basis, but does not establish the automatic closure of one country’s centers in response to the closure of the other country’s institutions.
