By Ekaterina Janashia | 2025-11-20

When Moldova's new government started its work, one of its first acts was to shutter a building long seen as Moscow's foothold: the Russian House, a cultural center officials say masked a Kremlin influence operation.

On November 5, Moldova's newly formed, pro-European government approved a draft law to cancel a cultural cooperation agreement with Russia, beginning the process of closing the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Chisinau. The Russian House has been criticized by officials as an instrument of "hybrid influence" used to undermine the country's sovereignty.

The cabinet, led by Prime Minister Alexander Munteanu and backed by President Maia Sandu, endorsed the bill during its inaugural session after the pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity's decisive victory in September's parliamentary elections. Sandu has repeatedly accused Russia of interference in the former Soviet republic bordering Ukraine.

Culture Minister Cristian Jardan said the center was "by no means cultural."

"It was a center under the cover of which activities were carried out to undermine the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova," he said.

The center employed six Russian diplomats in 2023, according to local media.

On November 13, Moldova's parliament voted to withdraw from the bilateral agreement with Russia that permitted the creation and operation of cultural centers in both countries.

A 'tool in Russia's hybrid war'

According to Moldovan government, the Russian House, funded by the sanctioned Russian state-funded cultural diplomacy agency Rossotrudnichestvo, has been used since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a "tool in Russia's hybrid war" to spread disinformation and distorted narratives within Moldova's information space.

Authorities also noted that Moldova does not benefit from a reciprocal cultural center on Russian territory.

The move comes as the country aggressively pursues closer integration with the European Union.

Pro-Russian opposition parties have already criticized the decision, calling it destructive to long-standing bilateral relations and a "new expression" of "Russophobic policy."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed deep "regret" over the decision during a briefing in Moscow on November 5.

"It's a great shame that Moldova's leadership continues to antagonize our country," Peskov said, also accusing Chișinău of engaging in a "Russophobic policy" and "denying everything connected with our country."

A 'soft power' strategy

Russia has acknowledged that "soft power" -- using culture and political ideas for influence -- is essential as part of its foreign policy strategy adopted in 2016.

In June 2021, Russian House, alongside the Kremlin-backed organizations Association of Volunteer Centers and the Russian Humanitarian Mission, began work on the international humanitarian project Russia: Mission Good Deeds.

One objective of the mission was to support local education initiatives in countries including Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Armenia.

Russian House is one of Moscow's main vehicles for educational, cultural and humanitarian initiatives in former Soviet states, according to experts.

"Russian diaspora organizations in all post-Soviet countries are more than mere propaganda tools; they are, crucially, nests for Russian special services," Shota Utiashvili, the Senior Fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International studies, told Kontur.

"Consequently, their closure is the most direct signal that the host country is committed to denying Russian special services freedom of action."

Moscow has substantially increased its foreign influence operations, allocating at least 412 million RUB ($5 million) in 2025, a 50% jump from the previous year, to programs aimed at shaping the views of foreign youth, according to a September report by the investigative outlet iStories.

The majority of the budget is dedicated to its flagship Novoe Pokolenie (New Generation) program, which sponsors overseas trips, cultural events and training sessions designed to cultivate a network of "pro-Russian" activists, journalists and young leaders.

This record funding is managed by Rossotrudnichestvo, which promotes Kremlin interests abroad and is widely seen as a front for Russian intelligence services.

Established in 2008, Rossotrudnichestvo is tasked with fostering relations between Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, including the "formation of an objective understanding of modern Russia abroad," according to LIGA.net.

Russian House shut down

Moldova has become the third country this year to close down a Russian House, following the precedent set earlier by Azerbaijan.

Baku was the first to formally shut down its Russian cultural center, ending its operations in February 2025. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada said the organization had "seriously violated Azerbaijani legislation" and lacked proper legal registration.

In April, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, arrested a Russian House employee on charges of recruiting mercenaries to fight in foreign conflicts, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Nataliya Sekerina, a Kyrgyz citizen who had worked in the center's media relations department in Osh since July 2023, was among four people detained.

Observers said the arrests were unsurprising, arguing that Rossotrudnichestvo's activities abroad have long extended beyond cultural outreach.

"These 'Russian Houses', under the guise of cultural exchange, have been carrying out special missions abroad together with Russian intelligence agencies for many years," Askat Dukenbayev, a Bishkek-based political scientist, told Kontur.