Lavrov Announced A "cultural" Response To Germany, But Mixed Up The Russian Cities

• 3.09.2026, 8:40

The Russian Foreign Minister made a fool of himself at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Russia will close branches of the Goethe-Institut in response to Germany’s decision to shut down the Russian House in Berlin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made this statement at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, according to TASS.

“Here (in Russia—Ed.) the Germans have branches of the Goethe-Institut. In Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. Well, of course, they will be closed after our cultural center was kicked out of there. Otherwise, we won’t respect ourselves,” Lavrov said.

According to him, the German authorities should have understood that the decision regarding the Russian House “means the end of their cultural presence in Russia.”

However, Lavrov apparently confused one of the cities. The Goethe-Institut’s website states that its branches in Russia are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk, not in Yekaterinburg. The institutes in Moscow and St. Petersburg continue to operate, and their websites feature up-to-date programs and event schedules.