Finland seizes Russian cultural centre over Naftogaz claims
Finnish enforcement authorities have seized a science and culture center building in central Helsinki owned by Russia. According to the "Helsingin Sanomat" newspaper, and citing data from the national land registry, the property seizure is related to compensation claims by the Ukrainian company Naftogaz.
The building, with an area of over 32,300 sq. ft., was seized last week, marking the first such case in Finland. The Finnish newspaper notes that the seizure of Russian property has been seen as a 'measure of exceptional character.'
Naftogaz claims
Naftogaz, which owned infrastructure and resource stocks in Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014, obtained an arbitration court ruling in The Hague in April of last year.
The court ordered Russia to compensate the Ukrainian company for lost assets, more than 5 billion euros. Since Russia has not paid the debt, Naftogaz is seeking to freeze Russian assets in various countries.
The Russian Science and Culture Centre in Helsinki was established in the 1970s by the KGB's cultural relations department. The building, with a facade adorned with a mosaic depicting a sickle and hammer, housed a cinema and a library, among other things. After the fall of the USSR, the centre's mission was to ensure "Every Finn has an opinion about Russians," according to a report by "HS" a few years ago.
