We need to talk about the Russian House in Brussels. An innocent...
Kamiel Vermeylen@kmlvrmln
434 views
Nov 10, 2026
~4 min read
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We need to talk about the Russian House in Brussels. An innocent place of culture and science, Russia claims. Some sociable exhibitions, some nice concerts, nothing more. But ofcourse there is more than meets the eye. 🧵
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Let's start with a picture the Russian embassy itself shared a couple of days ago. On the far left we can see the director of the Russian House, Vera Bunina, who used to work at the Russian embassy itself. But it's the woman in front that first drew my attention.
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She's a 36-year old Belgian national, whose mother was a candidate for the hard-right Vlaams Belang back in 2024. She frequently visits the Russian House in Brussels, sometimes with the current Russian ambassador to Belgium Denis Gonchar.
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Thanks to the Russian House and embassy she was able to take part in the World Youth Festival in 2024 & in 2026. No biggie, one would think. Think twice. Both times she ended up as an 'international election observer' for the Russian presidential and parliamentary elections.
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The first time, in 2024, she visited the Omsk region, where, to no one’s surprise, she reported no irregularities. Three politicians from the pro-Russian Alternative für Deutschland were part of the delegation, including the Bavarian MP and Russian speaking Ulrich Singer.
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For those who do not know who Ulrich Singer is, here are some pictures with Dmitry Medveded and Viktor Medvedchuk. Balls deep with Putin's cronies.
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In '26 she was an 'observer' in Komi, and again she saw no irregularities at the staged polling station she visited. She did say to the election committee that 'not voting in Belgium can get you to prison.' Utter bulshit, ofcourse, but Russian media quickly spread the narrative.
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Up to the next one, the boy - a minor - in the middle. He frequents the Russian House as well, together with his mom. Previous year he won the Belgian leg of an international lecture competition, called Living Classics, that Russian Houses all over the world organized.
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The victory in the Belgian RusHouse brought him to the semifinals on the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea, which Russia has been occupying since 2014. Over there his pattriotic lecture gained him the first place again, so he made it to the finals on the Red Square, next to the Kremlin.
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And then, suddenly, he turned up in the European Parliament previous summer, as an intern to Fernand Kartheiser. Kartheiser is known as one of the most pro-Russian MEPs, who wants to halt all the support to Ukraine and who 'negotiates' with Russians MPs on Ukraine.
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From the Russian House, to Crimea, to the Red Square, to the European Parliament, and in September, just like the woman discussed above, he took part in the World Youth Festival as well. Sheer coincidence, right?
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For those who want to know more about Kartheiser, read this fantastic thread of @vic_010100 - it's in German, but its baffling.
Vic@vic_010100
Unter der Führung von Fernand Kartheiser ließen sich diese EU-Abgeordneten von sanktionierten Kreml-Agenten und Propagandisten instrumentalisieren. Sie saßen Sluzki brav und gehorsam gegenüber, während er seine Propaganda über die NATO, den Ukraine-Krieg und den angeblichen 'Schutz von Minderheiten' verbreitete.
🧵17/24
🧵17/24
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You know who frequents the European Parliament as well? The woman discussed above. She attends events of the pro-Russian Europe of Sovereign Nations group. Also there: Fernand Kartheiser. 1 of the 30 people Kartheiser follows on his Insta? Yup, the same woman. Coincidence, right?
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Up to the final person. She is a 27-years old from Moscow, who used to work for Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian government agency running the Russian Houses-network worldwide. It is sanctioned by the EU because of its hybrid activities and disinformation campaigns across Europe.
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She knows a thing about desinformation, doesn't she, as she used to work as 'a journalist' for the Russian news video channel Reporters, with at least 100.000 subscribers on several platforms. She was constantly parotting Russian propaganda on Ukraine, 'the West', NATO, EU, etc.
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Since the spring, she made the transfer to the Russian House in Brussels - she has an author-page at the Rushouse website and is often seen on events organised by the Russian House. But ofcourse Karibyan is here to foster cultural ties only and not to sow desinformation, right?
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Reminds me a bit of Zlata Tikhaya, a former Sputnik-'journalist' who is currently working at the Russian embassy to Belgium as third secretary.
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To wrap it up: the Russian House in Brussels isn't just organizing exchanges on Pushkin, Prokofiev & Repin. It recruits Belgians to legitimize rigged elections & Russian occupation, it builds ties within the 🇪🇺 Parliament, it employs people who sow desinformation, and maybe more.
