[1] The center is operated by Rossotrudnichestvo, an autonomous agency of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

[2] It was initially used as a school for the children of embassy staff, then housed the Soviet consulate in the 1970s and 1980s.

[2] Since at least 2001, the center has organized all-expenses-paid cultural exchange trips to Russia for young Americans.

[3] The trips included lodging at luxury hotels and meetings with Russian officials.

[1][3] In October 2013, the center's director, Yury Zaitsev (Russian: Юрий Зайцев), was investigated by the FBI for allegedly using the center's cultural exchange program to recruit young Americans as Russian spies.