OREANDA-NEWS The arrest of the building of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Helsinki has been canceled, Aki Virtanen, a representative of the Debt Collection Department, told Yle. The inspectors found no grounds for the seizure of property.

Finnish bailiffs arrested the premises and territory belonging to the Russian Center of Science and Culture on the evening of April 18. According to Yle, the measure was taken in connection with the EU sanctions: the Finnish authorities had to check whether the land and real estate were owned or controlled by persons on the sanctions lists.

After the arrest, the Russian Foreign Ministry sent a protest note to Helsinki, where it stated that the only owner of the property is the Russian Federation. The diplomats demanded to explain how the actions of the Finnish bailiffs conform to the norms of international law on the immunity of state property.

The Soviet authorities opened the Science and Culture Center in Helsinki in 1977. The main goal of the organization was to promote the implementation of Russian-Finnish cultural, educational, humanitarian and scientific projects. The center hosted exhibitions and meetings with Russian figures, as well as events with artists from Russia.

The Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat noted that the center suspended its activities in the summer of 2022. According to the newspaper, the center itself and the frozen apartments belong to Rossotrudnichestvo.