Russian Houses – Russian cultural centres which are traditionally instruments of state soft power promoting language and culture – have increasingly been privatised and franchised to Russian organisations. These entities rely on nationals in countries of strategic importance to Moscow, who are frequently recruited from manufactured anti West activist groups sponsored by Russia and implicated in covert influence operations. Moreover, these houses have functioned as recruitment halls and amplified military propaganda, bolstering Russia’s war effort.
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INPACT’s key findings:
- Rossotrudnichestvo, the state agency in charge of promoting culture and humanitarian affairs, is relying on a mix of entities to expand its network of cultural centres: branches, partnership with Russian private organisations and a private military company to open Russian Houses, local companies and local associations.
- Franchised Russian Houses are part of Africa Politology’s strategy for the continent which is in charge of offensive and clandestine influence operations on behalf of the Russian State: the entity is financing their operation costs throughout the continent
- This franchised model enables the Russian state to go faster at expanding their influence network but also dilutes responsibilities and roles to non-state actors.
- Most management teams are recruited among the local civil society, often from anti-western activist groups sponsored by Russian embassies and advocating for regime change in the host country.
- Russian Houses have become a focal point around which a local anti-Western ecosystem aligned on Russian worldview and often politically motivated for regime change can gravitate.
- Russian Houses are promoting both Russia’s culture and history and war-themed events and the Russian military. They acts as physical echo-chambers in country to amplify Russian led influence operations like African Initiative and its local branches.
- Russian Houses have also become halls for recruitments and covert operations with aggressive recruitment for the Russian militaro-complex and espionnage taking place there.
Recommendations:
- Franchised Russian Houses displaying an inappropriate activity involving recruitment for military industries and the army or espionage operations should be closed and/or sanctioned by host country
- Russian ambassadors in host countries should be questioned and made accountable for the intentions and activities of franchised Russian Houses led by nationals openly pro-destabilisation and calling for regime change.
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