Hounslow is set to cut ties with its Russian "twin" after nearly three decades.
The borough has been twinned with Leningradsky, a suburb of Moscow, since May 1989 - two years before the fall of the Soviet Union.
But that link is being severed following a review of Hounslow Council 's twinning partnerships.
The local authority will retain its relationships with four other partners: Issy-Les-Moulineaux, in France; Ramallah, in Palestine; Lahore, in Pakistan; and Jaladhar, in India.
Despite Hounslow being twinned with Leningradsky, the union has lain dormant throughout its history, according to a council report, with no activities organised to cement the bond.
'Twinning relationship had been dormant'
"It is widely understood that Leningradsky, whilst still a geographic area of Moscow, was abolished as a municipality in its own right following a reorganisation of Moscow local government districts in 1991," the report states.
"No references to a Leningradsky District existing in Moscow can be found, despite attempts to research them, and so, given this and the many years of dormancy, it is proposed that the council formally terminate this town twinning relationship."
Hounslow Council's cabinet voted at a meeting on September 20 to abolish its ties with Leningradsky District and to retain links with the other authorities.
Councillors also agreed not to forge any new links and to restrict council funding for any events or activities promoting the existing bonds.
The history of town twinning in Hounslow
Town twinning first flourished in the wake the Second World War as a way to strengthen links between European nations and ward off the risk of future conflicts.
It was in this spirit, albeit many years later, that Hounslow twinned with the Parisian suburb of Issy-Les-Moulineaux in 1982.
This led to a pupil exchange, which remained in place until recently, and to ceremonial links, including a 2015 visit by Hounslow's council leader and mayor to their Gallic counterparts, where music and sport exchanges were discussed.
The concept of town twinning made a resurgence in the late 1980s. There was a political edge to many couplings from this era, which were often viewed as a way to protest against American foreign policy.
This certainly appeared to be the case with Hounslow's union with Ramallah, approved in 1988, and with Leningradsky District, sealed the following year.
And while the latter remained little more than a gesture, the former twinning was revived in 2010 and earlier this year the respective mayors signed an agreement committing both administrations to "preserving and developing the friendship" between the pair.
Hounslow twinned with Lahore in 1991 and with Jalandhar in 2015, in both cases with the aim of fostering cultural links between the west London borough and the nations from which many of its residents originated.
The former relationship was revived in early 2016, having been stagnant for many years, with a self-financed trip by Hounslow's then mayor Nisar Malik.
Councillor Malik had also planned a ceremonial visit last year to Jalandhar, but this trip was cancelled and has yet to be rescheduled.
