British Council

2021: Anonymous hackers declassified anti-Russian activities of the British Council

The UK government is allocating significant funds to combat "Kremlin propaganda and disinformation." This was announced in April 2021 by the international network of hackers Anonymous^[1].

In particular, hackers managed to gain access to the files of the department of the British Foreign Ministry, which is responsible for combating disinformation in the media - Counter Disinformation & Media Development Program (CDMD). This unit works closely with the British special services and through a network of NGOs led by the British Council works with the population of the countries of the former USSR in order to discredit the Russian authorities.

"By and large, we are talking about the neo-colonialist strategy of Great Britain under the control of the special services, which manage a large extensive network of private funds around the world, as well as well-known media," the newspaper writes.

Anonymous members have published a photo that allegedly captures a document containing recommendations for Russian-speaking representatives of the younger generation to work with their relatives. "This is done to influence the generations of parents, grandparents and form a Euro-Baltic identity," the publication says. It also claims that 100 million pounds were allocated for the work of the department in 2017.

2018: Russian government bans council activities in the country

In March 2018, Russia, in response to the aggressive actions of the British government within the framework of the so-called. "Cases from the poisoning of the ex-colonel of the GRU Skripal," declared 23 British diplomats persona non grata, and also decided to withdraw consent to the activities of the British Consulate General in St. Petersburg and stop the work of the British Council in the Russian Federation.

"The head of the British Council remains in Russia, he can act as a cultural adviser and continue all the programs that are available," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tried to calm her passions. However, the British side was not convinced by these words.

disappointed to the core. From our point of view, when political or diplomatic relations become complex, cultural ties and opportunities in the sphere formations are vital to preserve the existing dialogue between people and organizations, "the British Council said in an official statement

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also disagrees with Moscow's interpretation. "These useless measures will only bring losses to ordinary Russians, depriving them of the opportunity to learn English and apply for a British visa," said the head of the Foreign Office.

Mentioning the study of English, Boris Johnson touched upon one of the most sensitive issues for Russians. The British Council holds the official right to conduct the IELTS exam - a certified English proficiency test that must be passed when going to permanent residence, work or study in English-speaking countries.

"London left no To Moscow choice. The Russian soft response on the eve of the March 18 vote would look strange. In addition, any such response would be perceived as an indirect recognition by Moscow of its guilt, "Andrei Kortunov, general director of the Russian Council on International Affairs, explained to Kommersant. According to the expert, the main hopes in the European direction Moscow are connected not with Britain, but with Germany and France, with which "there is still a certain space for dialogue"^[2].

Nadezhda Arbatova, head of the European Political Studies Department of IMEMO RAS, adheres to a similar opinion.

stance is a defensive reaction. Russia could not afford a softer answer, because it could be regarded as indirect proof of its guilt, "Ms. Arbatova explained to

Minister Olga Vasilyeva said that all "joint educational programs will be suspended." According to her, cooperation will not be resumed "until the competent authorities decide to change its status." For September 2018, the British Council planned the Study in UK: Discover you exhibition, which tells Russians about the possibility of studying at English colleges and universities.

A similar situation is in scientific cooperation. So, in February 2018, the State Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) named 21 winners of a joint competition for young scientists with the British Council. It was assumed that they should receive grants to participate in scientific seminars in the UK.

The British Council also held many festivals. In addition, the council helped organize tours of important, but not the most famous musicians, whom Russian promoters would not bring, fearing commercial failure.

The British Council, together with the Museum of Moscow and the Union of Moscow Architects, is the co-organizer of the competition for the concept of the monument to William Shakespeare. The decision to install the monument was supported by the mayor of Moscow in October 2017, it was planned to be placed on Varvarka. The prize fund of the competition is 650 thousand rubles, the winner was planned to be chosen on April 27, 2018.

The council also organized many lectures. The last such series of public events began on February 1, 2018. In collaboration with the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation, the organization brought British lecturers who talked about management in the field of culture and art. Performances were planned to be held not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in the regions.

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy called the closure of the council "a necessary measure" and stressed that in addition to the British Council, there are other opportunities for organizing cultural exchanges with Great Britain.

The closest analogue of the British Council in the UK is the representative office, Rossotrudnichestvo which holds events there like the Day of Russian Ballet. When asked by Kommersant whether Russia is preparing for the possible closure of the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in, Russian London Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova replied: "Different options have been calculated." "It must be understood that the British Council worked in Russia outside the legal framework. The British side refused to resolve the legal issues of finding the structure in Russia. And the Russian side showed goodwill without closing the British Council, she added. - After threats, accusations and rudeness, the issue was closed. Russia did not start a confrontation. "

2017: Promoting the science of Britain in Russia and attracting talented Russians to Britain

T.N. "Education" was one of the key activities of the British Council in Russia, so many projects were implemented together with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Thus, the department officially held in 2017 the "Year of Science and Education of Great Britain and Russia," which was intended to "stimulate scientific cooperation between the two countries." As part of this particular project, in the fall of 2017, the Week of Science was held in Russian schools. In addition, competitions were held for teachers and schoolchildren, whose winners won a study trip to the UK in 2018.

One of the symbols of the Year of Science and Education of Great Britain and Russia 2017 was the thematic train "Science of the Future," which the British Council launched at the Moscow Metro in December 2017. It was assumed that the train will run on the Metro Ring Line for at least six months, during which time at least 2.6 million passengers should get acquainted with the developments of British scientists.

"The launch of this train is another milestone in our relations with the British Council and the Moscow Metro," Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, said at the opening ceremony three months ago. - Now they write a lot about what complex relations between Russia and Great Britain, but there are areas of our relations that have never been interrupted. This is the sphere of humanitarian cooperation, the sphere of human relations, from the point of view of the Russian authorities, should be supported in any political weather. "

2016: Year of Language and Literature of Great Britain and Russia

In 2016, the British Council organized the Year of Language and Literature of Great Britain and Russia.

2014: Year of Culture of Great Britain and Russia

In 2014, the British Council organized a large-scale Year of Culture of Great Britain and Russia.

2007: Closure of 13 of 15 centers in Russia

During the diplomatic conflict caused by the Litvinenko case, 13 of the 15 centers of the British Council in the Russian Federation were closed in 2007. Nevertheless, Moscow then did not dare to announce the complete curtailment of his work.

1998: Early Music Festival Support

The British Council and its then director in St. Petersburg Elizabeth White for three years - from 1998 to 2001 - supported the Early Music festival, the idea of ​ ​ which was proposed by Russian violinist Andrei Reshetin.

Mark Di Moni, who worked at the British Council at that time as Arts Officer, was directly involved in the launch of the festival. In 2007, Di Moni left for other projects in Russia. For several years he was the general manager of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater, where the artistic director was Greek Theodor Currentzis. Di Moni continued to help Reshetin, including finance.

1967: Resumption of work in the USSR

Since 1967, the British Council resumed work in the USSR.

1947: Closure of the branch in the USSR

The closure of the branch in Russia took place in 1947.

1945: Opening a branch in the USSR

In Moscow, the representative office of the British Council operated in 1945.

1940: Receiving a royal charter

In 1940, the British Council received a royal charter to work "with the aim of expanding knowledge of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as the distribution of English abroad and the development of cultural ties."

1936: Renamed British Council

The organization has been called the British Council since 1936.

1934: Creation of an organization under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The British Council was created in 1934 under the auspices of the British Foreign Office and was originally called the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries.

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