Moldova shuts Russian cultural centre in Chișinău amid diplomatic break with Russia

Moldova terminated the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Chișinău after denouncing the 1998 agreement that established the institution. The parliamentary vote on 27 November 2025 ended the treaty, and the centre’s legal basis expired, leading to its closure on 4 July 2025.

Moldovan authorities said the centre could be used to promote narratives that threaten national security, citing multiple Russian drone incursions that violated Moldovan airspace in February 2025. No financial or economic impact was reported for Moldova.

The Russian embassy announced that the centre’s functions will be partially taken over by its cultural section, within the limits of diplomatic mission duties. The shutdown is part of a broader shift away from Moscow as Moldova advances toward European Union membership.