The diplomatic mission building on 5th Sovetskaya Street will be handed over to the authorities of St. Petersburg in the coming days.
Local residents told «Fontanka» that the diplomats had already removed personal belongings from the building the day before, and today the official part took place.
Poles living in St. Petersburg, as well as the Polish Ambassador to Russia Krzysztof Krajewski, were invited to the closure of the consulate.
«Thank you, dear friends, for being with us today at this sad event. But your presence — is a sign of respect, solidarity, shared values. Very important values for you and for us», — said the Polish Ambassador in Russian, expressing hope that operations will resume in «better times».
Russia withdrew its consent for the placement of the Polish Consulate General in St. Petersburg in response to the closure of the Russian diplomatic mission in Poznan.«Guided by the principle of reciprocity, persona non grata were declared three diplomatic staff members of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in St. Petersburg, who must leave the territory of Russia by the specified date», — noted the Russian Foreign Ministry statement.
Photo: Fontanka