Russia does not want to give up the villa in Gdańsk. The city bills for millions of zlotys

Gdańsk is preparing another request for payment from the Embassy of the Russian Federation for the non-contractual use of the property where the consulate was located. This time it is for over PLN 2.2 million – the city mayor's spokesman, Daniel Stenzel, told PAP.

On November 19, 2025, the head of Polish diplomacy, Radosław Sikorski, announced that he had withdrawn consent to the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdańsk at ul. Batorego 13 and 15. It was a response to Russian acts of sabotage against railway lines in Poland. According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the consulate was to be closed by midnight on December 23, 2025 and its employees should leave Poland.

However, this did not happen. A few days later, the vice-president of Gdańsk, Emilia Lodzińska, announced that the Embassy of the Russian Federation had sent a letter to the Gdańsk city hall, informing that “an administrative and technical employee of the embassy will be staying in the properties where the former consulate was located.” Therefore, she added, the city hall will not be able to physically take over these properties.

After receiving the letter, office workers tried to collect the building, but no one opened the door.

Two months after this incident, the spokesman for the mayor of Gdańsk, Daniel Stenzel, told PAP that the properties are still occupied by the Russian Federation and the city does not have access to the buildings.

– As a city, we carry out the activities of a staroste performing government administration tasks. This means that these activities are closely consulted and carried out in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he assured.

He emphasized that debt collection activities were continuing as announced. An application was submitted to the court bailiff to initiate enforcement of the awarded amounts due to the State Treasury by the judgment of the District Court in Gdańsk of March 4, 2025. At that time, over PLN 358,000 was ordered to be paid. zloty.

Stenzel added that currently, in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, another payment request is being prepared to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Warsaw. This time it is over PLN 2.2 million for the non-contractual use of real estate at ul. Batory 13 and 15 by the end of 2025.

– The prepared request for payment will be forwarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the ambassador of the Russian Federation in the form provided for by international law – the spokesman noted.

He added that until the real estate is formally taken over, it remains in the possession of the Russian Federation and no activities can be carried out there by representatives of the State Treasury.

– Taking over the real estate, assuming that the Russian side does not voluntarily hand it over, will be able to take place on the basis of a final court judgment ordering its handover to the State Treasury and after a bailiff's execution – he explained.

Stenzel said that according to his information, in January 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a request to the General Prosecutor's Office to initiate court proceedings for the issuance of these properties.

When asked by PAP about the future purpose of the buildings currently occupied by the Russian Federation, the city mayor's spokesman replied that it was too early to make a decision on this matter. This will take place after the buildings are taken over by the State Treasury.

– Development will require consultation and consent of the Pomeranian Voivode – he said, adding that the mayor of the city will perform the agreed activities in this regard on behalf of the State Treasury.

Russian diplomats have occupied the consulate since post-war times. In 1951, the People's Republic of Poland and the Soviet Union signed an agreement on the free use of the building. After the collapse of the USSR, the property became the property of the State Treasury.

For decades, the Russian side treated the villa at ul. Batory as your property. It did not pay for the use of the building, even though in 2013 the city started charging fees in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The consulate did not settle the amounts due and did not respond to calls.

Gdańsk estimated the arrears from 2013-2023 at approximately PLN 5.5 million, and the interest on this amount at another PLN 3 million. (PAP)

pm/ joz/