Moldova Moves to Shut Down Russian Cultural Center
Russian Cultural Center in Chișinău, Moldova. (Photo: open source)
The Moldovan government has approved terminating its cultural cooperation agreement with Russia, under which the Russian Center for Science and Culture — also known as the Russian House (Russki Dom) — operated in Chișinău, Orda.kz reports, citing Radio Moldova.
The decision will next be put to a vote in parliament.
Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan said the center had long served political rather than cultural purposes:
The Russian Cultural Center was not truly cultural — it was an institution that, under the guise of culture, carried out activities undermining Moldova’s sovereignty,
Jardan stated.
Russia’s federal agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which oversees the center, said it had not yet received any official notification from Moldovan authorities and that the Russian House continues to operate “as usual," according to Novaya Gazeta.
In February, Azerbaijan also announced the closure of the Russian House in Baku.
The pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) of Moldovan President Maia Sandu won the parliamentary elections held on September 28. The elections were viewed as a choice between closer integration with the European Union or a return to Russia’s sphere of influence.
Latest news
- Where Direct Flights to Kazakhstan’s New Resort Airports Will Operate
- Some Kazakh Civil Servants Will Face Mandatory Drug Tests
- Kazakh Businessman Jailed for Defrauding Swiss Investor Out of 3.5 Billion Tenge
- Tokayev Helped Secure Release of Detained Kazakh Diplomat
- Rising River Washes Away Temporary Bridges in Tourist Area of Turkestan Region
- More Than Half of Heavy Trucks Checked in Astana Broke Weight Rules
- Young Doctors in Kazakhstan Could Be Allowed to Work After Internship
- Two Kazakhstanis Convicted in Kyrgyzstan for Selling Fake Dollars
- Kazakh Diplomat Accused of Espionage in Poland Released in Prisoner Swap
- Trump’s Sons Enter Kazakhstan’s Subsoil Project With U.S. Government Money
- Where Kazakhstan’s Biggest Ethnic Communities Are Concentrated
- Number of Children With Autism in Kazakhstan Has Nearly Doubled in Three Years
- Soyuz-5 Makes First Test Launch Under the Baiterek Project
- “We are different, but we are united”: Tokayev Congratulates Kazakhstanis on Unity Day
- Kazakhstan’s Planned Route to Mongolia Will Pass Through Russia
- Almaty Starts Testing a Low-Emission Zone in the City Center
- Senate Calls for Safety Audit of Almaty Metro
- Large Banks in Kazakhstan Lose Profit While Smaller Ones Grow
- Kazakh Suspects Linked to Fraud Scheme Targeting Deaf People in Kyrgyzstan
- Suicides in Kazakhstan Rise Again After Two Years of Decline
