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(https://www.themoscowtimes.com/contribute?utm_source=contribute&utm_medium=internal-header-mobile) Contribute today     (russia-will-close-germanys-goethe-institut-cultural-centers-lavrov-says-a93625.html) Russia Will Close Germany’s Goethe-Institut Cultural Centers, Lavrov Says     Sep. 3, 2026     (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/03/russia-will-close-germanys-goethe-institut-cultural-centers-lavrov-says-a93625) (Share on Facebook)   (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/03/russia-will-close-germanys-goethe-institut-cultural-centers-lavrov-says-a93625&text=Russia Will Close Germany’s Goethe-Institut Cultural Centers, Lavrov Says) (Share on Twitter)   (https://telegram.me/share/url?url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/03/russia-will-close-germanys-goethe-institut-cultural-centers-lavrov-says-a93625) (Share on Telegram)   (https://wa.me/?text=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/03/russia-will-close-germanys-goethe-institut-cultural-centers-lavrov-says-a93625) (Share on WhatsApp)   (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#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) (Share with email)   (https://flipboard.com) (Share on Flipboard)   (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/03/russia-will-close-germanys-goethe-institut-cultural-centers-lavrov-says-a93625/pdf) (Download as PDF)         Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.  Dmitry Belitsky / Moskva News Agency    Russia  will close Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centers,  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (https://www.interfax.ru/russia/1112867?utm_source=top) (said) said Thursday, after German officials ordered the closure of the Russian cultural center in Berlin as retaliation for a drone incident at the Leipzig/Halle Airport that they blamed on Moscow. Germany also ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn in response to what it said was an attempted attack at the airport. This week, President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence in order to blame Moscow for the incident. Lavrov said Russia  would close the Goethe-Institut centers in the cities of Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg as retaliation for the closure of the Russian cultural center in Berlin. "Of course, they will be closed after our cultural center was kicked out," Lavrov said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The centers had stayed open "despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West," he added. Russia 's first Goethe-Institut opened in Moscow in 1992, soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Reuters contributed reporting.     Read more about: (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/tag/germany) (Germany) Germany , (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/tag/lavrov) (Lavrov) Lavrov   Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/newsletterpreview/article) Preview  (Your email)  (Your name)  Subscribe  Subscribers agree to the (https://www.themoscowtimes.com/page/privacy-policy) Privacy Policy    We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription.    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