The key facts

  • The lawsuit was filed in June by the Polish State Treasury, represented by the mayor of Gdańsk; the court has contacted the Polish Foreign Ministry to serve a copy of the lawsuit on Moscow
  • The consulate general in Gdańsk was closed in December 2025 by decision of Warsaw; in the spring, electricity and heating were cut off in the building
  • Maria Zakharova stated that Russia proposes resolving disputed real estate issues through consultations leading to a new intergovernmental agreement

The treasury lawsuit and the service of documents procedure

Poland has gone to court demanding the return of the building of the former Russian consulate general in Gdańsk. This was reported by Radio Gdańsk, citing the civil affairs spokesperson of the Gdańsk District Court,Judge Łukasz Ziola. The plaintiff is the State Treasury, whose interests are represented by the mayor of Gdańsk; the lawsuit was filed in June and concerns the transfer of the property.

What is happening with the building

The consulate general on Batory Street ceased operations in December 2025 following a unilateral decision by Poland's foreign ministry. One administrative employee was stationed in the building to guard the premises; whether he is still there is unknown. Several months ago, as part of enforcement proceedings, the utilities were cut off in the building — according to Life.ru, electricity and heating were shut off in the spring. The Russian side still considers the property its own and cites the 1951 agreement on gratuitous use; the Gdańsk city hall maintains that, according to the Polish registry, the property belongs to the state treasury.

Moscow's position

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told RIA Novostithat 'all the accumulated problems in the sphere of real estate should be resolved, as the Russian side has repeatedly proposed, through consultations leading to a comprehensive settlement via a new intergovernmental agreement.' Thus, the parties differ not only on the substance of the dispute over the ownership of the building, but also on the very venue for its resolution: Warsaw has chosen a court lawsuit, while Moscow insists on intergovernmental consultations.

Context and what remains unknown

The proceedings can continue only after Moscow confirms receipt of the copy of the lawsuit — or after the deadline allotted by Polish legislation for awaiting such a response expires. After the consulate general was closed, consular services in Poland remained with the consular section of the Russian embassy in Warsaw. In October, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called on other European countries to also close Russian consulates and reduce the number of Russian diplomats. The publications do not report on the Russian side's position on the substance of the lawsuit or on its further steps.