Germany's Goethe-Institut will close all Russian branches by September 13 amid one of the worst spats in the history of relations between Russia and Germany.
The Russian foreign ministry ordered the closure of the German cultural centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk in response to Berlin's reaction to the attempteddrone attackat Leipzig airport in early August. The German authorities blamed Moscow for organizing the attack and announced sanctions. They include closing the Russian culture and education center in Berlin, known as the Russian House, and the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, as well tightening visa restrictions for Russian citizens.
"All employees must cease their work in Russia as of September 13, 2026," Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut Gitte Zschoch said in a statement. "No more books can be borrowed from our libraries, and no further training can be offered. German language teachers are losing an important source of professional training and support. For people in Russia, this further restricts access to the German language, culture and reliable information from and about Germany."
DW asked its users in Russia to share how the closure of the Goethe-Institut will affect them personally. The responses received do not constitute a representative survey. All users shared their stories on conditions of anonymity. Russian authorities labeled DW an "undesirable organization" making every cooperation with the media company a criminal offense.
'We'll have to travel to another country' for German exams
Many DW readers fear that, after the closure of the Goethe-Institut branches, they or their relatives will no longer be able to take exams in Russia for internationally recognized German language certificates.
Some readers pointed out that closing the Goethe-Institut in Russia will hit ethnic Germans willing to relocate back to Germany, or late repatriates, especially hard.
"I no longer live in Russia, having emigrated as a late repatriate, but my parents are still in Russia and were planning to take exams at the Goethe-Institut this fall or winter before submitting their resettlement documents. It looks like they'll have to take the exams in another country, which means additional stress and expenses for them," one reader said.
DW also received responses from parents whose children are learning German and plan to continue their education in Germany.
"My son attends a German school, and now we won't be able to take the exam in Russia. We'll have to travel to another country," one message said.
It remains unclear whether exams, language courses and educational programs will continue in Russia in another format or through partner organizations. Several readers expressed hope that at least some services will remain available online.
Goethe-Institute closures hit teachers hard
The closure of the institute will affect not only those planning to move to Germany or enroll at a German university. A German language teacher from the Moscow region told DW that her school had cooperated with the Goethe-Institut for more than 15 years.
"This partnership was one of the most important pillars of our work. The institute supported us with high-quality teaching materials and provided modern books and publications about life in Germany, helping us make lessons engaging and relevant. Our students attended additional courses, and many successfully passed the Goethe certificate exams," she wrote.
"I teach German and can't find a job in Russia," another teacher told DW.
"It's terrible. I'm a German teacher, and I feel professionally stranded and lost," a third wrote.
Despite the restrictions imposed since the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine in 2022, demand for the institute's services remained high. According to the Goethe-Institut, around 10,000 people studied German through its programs and partnerships in 2025. Before 2023, that number used to stand at around 16,000 people. The institute administered roughly 22,000 exams, and its libraries were visited by 6,700 people in 2025.
'Culture has become a hostage to political decisions'
Many readers perceive what is happening as another stage in the destruction of ties between Russia and Germany.
"We would like cultural relations between the Russian Federation and Germany not to be destroyed," one DW user responded. "It is sad to realize that culture has become a hostage to political decisions. The closure of the Goethe-Institut will affect people who have no way of influencing politicians."
Some DW readers from Russia specifically draw attention to the responsibility of politicians. One reader called the decision to close the institutes another step toward isolating the country and wondered why its consequences affect ordinary citizens rather than the Russian politicians who make such decisions.
"Why can the people making decisions to isolate Russia from Europe simultaneously provide their own children and close relatives with a European education and a European way of life?" a DW user asked, proposing a ban on the education of the children and close relatives of members of Russia's top leadership at universities in Germany and other EU countries.
Part of the audience considers Moscow's decision expected.
"The closure of the branches looks like a logical response to the closure of the Russian House in Germany. Could it have been otherwise? It is a pity that cultural and humanitarian ties between the countries are becoming hostages to politics," one reader wrote.
Some Russians hold Germany responsible for deteriorating relationship
Some Russians however believe that closing the Goethe-Institut branches in Russia was the right step and blame Germany for the recent escalation of the conflict with Russia.
"German authorities have buried cultural cooperation with Russia by shutting down the Russian House. The responsibility lies entirely with the German side," said one of the survey participants.
A bilateral intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Germany from 2011 regulates the work of the Russian House in Berlin and the Goethe-Institut's branches in Russia. It obliges both countries, on the basis of reciprocity, to ensure conditions necessary for the operation of their cultural centers. However, it does not in any way provide for the automatic closure of one country's cultural centers in response to the other country doing so.
President of the Goethe-Institut Gesche Joost called the closure of its branches in Russia "the end of an era in German-Russian cultural relations."
According to its website, the Goethe-Institut has 154 branches in 100 countries. This number includes the three branches in Russia that are now being closed.
