The Germans discovered in the center of Berlin an empty nest of Russian influence under the leadership of the ex-head of Russian Railways Yakunin, a scout with 22 years of experience

For two years now, a rather inconspicuous so-called research institute "Dialogue of Civilizations" , which is headed by the Russian billionaire, the Soviet Soviet, and then the Russian intelligence officer, ex-head of the Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, has been working in Berlin.

If Yakunin had not caught the eye of the friends of the Moscow municipal deputy Dmitry Klochkov in the visa department of the German consulate in Moscow, then no one would probably have learned that the former head of Russian Railways received work permit and temporary stay in Germany. And few would have remembered that Yakunin has his own pocket institute in Berlin.

"The current Stirls in Germany is not making their way under the cover of night. They are not created in detail the worked out" legends " and do not present fake passports. The personnel Soviet, and then the Russian intelligence officer (according to official figures of 22 years old ) Vladimir Yakunin, in the middle of the day, came to the German embassy, ​​honestly stood together with tourists and became the happy owner of the" blue card " , Giving the right to live and work in Germany, ”the sociologist Igor Eidman recalls on his Facebook and is interested in what exactly Yakunin wrote in the questionnaire:“ The purpose of the trip is the work of the Russian spy and the influence agent in Berlin? ”

Yakunin received the right to live and work in Germany on a category D visa in mid -August. This information was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Municipal municipal municipal municipality Dmitry Klochkov on his Facebook published a photograph of the "owner of the fur coat" in the German consulate.

According to Deutsche Welle , the presentation of the brainchild of Yakunin, the Institute "Dialogue of Civilizations", one of the most important headquarters of the hybrid war, was held on a grand scale on July 1, 2016 in one of the best in Germany of the capital's conference rooms Humboldt-Carre.

The place where the “Dialogue of Civilizations” premises was rented for himself is also expensive and exquisite. The very center of the historical Berlin ... The angle of Friedrichstraße and Französis Straße, just a few minutes walk from the Brandenburg Gate ... The fifth floor of the building, which was the only branch of the fashionable French department store Galeries Lafayette.

Inside there is a lot of light, glass and aluminum. At first, the visitor finds himself in a spacious round lobby, similar to a reception of a solid company. There are employees around the circumference. All of them are in the palm of your hand. The walls and doors are transparent. The conference room equipped with the latest technique is also round. And also flooded with light, pouring down from a glass, almost like on the roof of the Reichstag, a round dome.

"Dialogue of civilizations" receives grants from unknown persons, and many of its experts are only listed. Immediately after the emergence of a well -known very narrow audience of the institute, it was assumed that under its cover the “Kremlin’s instrument” can be valid, which is designed to defend Russian interests, for example, to form a positive image of the Kremlin on the world political arena, legitimize the occupation of Crimea, lobby for Russian interests in relations with the West, in particular, in the field of softening of sanctioned pressure, etc.

If the task of the institute in Berlin actually is to promote the interests of the current Russian government, then he does not seem to cope with it. At least in Germany about the institute - "complete silence."

Famous German experts refused to go to the “Dialogue of Civilizations”, and the leaders of the institute, unknown and not used in Germany, have a distant idea of ​​German political realities.

Relations also do not develop in the “dialogue of civilizations” with other Berlin institutions of related profile, for example, with the Center for Eastern European and International Studies (Zois) or the German Society of Foreign Policy (DGAP). Nobody appealed to these structures with proposals for cooperation.

According to insiders, the institute recently had a split, and the line prevailed to refuse to look at peace through the Russian prism. According to DW, the affairs of the DW, which is now secretly refueling the son of Yakunin Andrei, who allegedly does not share the worldview of his father in London and believes that the institution should deal with global problems, and not to conduct an ideological struggle with the West on the side of Russia.

The press secretary of the institute, a German of Polish origin, Agnoshka Agnka, told DW that 18 people from different countries work in the Berlin staff of the "Dialogue of Civilizations". Of these, 5 scientists with scientific degrees. The rest work in accounting, the personnel department, two are occupied exclusively by contacts with EU structures and various funds - German and foreign, write applications for granting. The institute has two branches - in Moscow and Vienna. The total state is 42 people.

The "Dialogue of Civilizations" is financed from the fund created specifically for this purpose in Switzerland. Its two main donors are Vladimir Yakunin himself and a Russian businessman, Philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan. How much they donated to the institute are not officially reported. But from the financial report for 2017 it follows that the budget of the "dialogue of civilizations" is formed at the expense of institutional grants, funds received from trusts, funds, corporations and simply wealthy people. However, not a single name or name of the corporation is indicated there. It is known that in 2017, 2.302 million euros were received in specific events and research projects. The amount of misunderstanding amounted to 2.316 million euros. "Other income" - 54 909 euros. What kind of income is this is not known.

All the money, according to the financial report, was spent in 2017: 2.302 million euros went to events and research projects; 2.302 million euros went to "office expenses"; 72 896 euros - "other expenses". All these funds, obviously, went to the salaries of employees and the rental of premises, which in the historical center of Berlin is prohibitive.

In addition to full -time analysts, the "Dialogue of Civilizations" has a whole network of freelance scientists working on a fee. Of the German full -time on the site, for example, Clemens Witte, who gained his international experience at universities in Kazan, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Minsk and Beijing, is listed on the site. In 2011-2012, he gave lectures on the media at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations - the forge of personnel for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Among the German freelays are journalist Thomas Fasbender and political analyst Alexander RAR. Both are considered in Germany pro -Kremlin analysts, both speak Russian perfectly, both are frequent guests of the Russian state media. Alexander Rar generally works as a Gazprom consultant on European issues. But for the Institute "Dialogue of Civilizations", RAR did not write a single article.

There is also a professor at the German Institute of Journalism and Journalism of Moscow State University and the Higher School of Arts of Berlin Jens Vendland in the list of freelance German experts. He is a frequent guest of the events of the German -Russian forum and St. Petersburg dialogue.

Thus, it is quite clear why the Yakuninsky "Dialogue of Civilizations" is considered in Germany an institute with a tinerized reputation.

The ex-head of the Russian Railways is considered in Germany a man from Putin’s closest encirclement, recall the country cooperative "Lake" , they know that Yakunin, although escaped European sanctions, but still fell under the American ones . Many here also doubt the honesty of the origin of Yakunin’s personal capital, some of which he generously sacrificed the “dialogue of civilizations”.

Many in Germany and some colleagues of Yakunin on the observation council of the "Dialogue of Civilizations" are skeptical. Ex-president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, is considered a friend of Putin. The name of the former Austrian Chancellor Alfred Guzenbauer surfaced in the American political strategist Paul Manafort, who worked for former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. The Honorary President of the German -Russian foreign trade chamber Andrea von Knop, who received Russian citizenship, is a hot supporter of the Russian president, which she, in her own words, chose her new homeland with “soul and heart”.