Skip to main content

Rossotrudnichestvo

Rossotrudnichestvo — formally the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation — is a Russian federal executive body operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, established by presidential decree on September 6, 2008. Its stated mandate is to promote Russian language, culture, and education abroad and to support Russian compatriots overseas. It maintains a global network of approximately 97 “Russian Houses” across 70 countries. Critics and independent analysts describe it as Russia’s primary instrument for soft power projection and hybrid influence, disseminating Kremlin narratives under the cover of cultural exchange. In July 2022, the European Union placed Rossotrudnichestvo under sanctions for running what the bloc described as a network of “agents of influence” spreading Kremlin narratives.

Institutional Ties


Country and Regional Context