Famous Russian diplomats. Russian diplomacy in the modern world. Endless work

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18:29 09.03.2019

As Russkaya Vesna previously reported, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, a US embassy employee tried to smuggle a mine in his luggage. The United States seems to be trying to test the reliability of Russia's security not only from the outside, by regularly staging provocative raids of warships and aircraft near our borders, but also from within. Moreover, with the involvement of employees of their embassy, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an object similar to a mortar mine was found this morning while scanning the luggage of an American. Summons bombers

16:17 09.03.2019

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the detention of an employee of the United States Embassy at the capital's Sheremetyevo airport with a mortar mine. This is stated in a statement obtained by RT. The text clarifies that on Saturday, March 9, airport officials detained a US citizen, in whose luggage an object similar to a mortar mine with a fuse was found. It is noted that the mine did not contain explosives. A mortar mine with a fuse was seized from the passenger ..., the passenger was released, they said in

09:22 13.02.2019

An employee of the US Consulate General in Yekaterinburg was sent home. As it became known to URA.RU, Consul for Administrative Affairs of the US Consulate General Richard Woodhouse left Russia. Wodehouse was remembered by housemates for his love of strong drinks. Richard Woodhouse, if not an alcoholic, then at least strongly drinking man. Residents of the house saw him drunk very often. And not just tipsy, but drunk as an insole, one of the residents of house number 25 on Karl Marx Street, where the consul lived, told URA.RU. As proof, the neighbor

08:13 29.12.2018

Russia and the UK will begin to restore the number of diplomatic missions in the capitals from January 2019. This statement was made by the Russian Ambassador to London, Alexander Yakovenko, on the air of the Rossiya 24 TV channel, Interfax reports. We have reached an agreement in principle that sometime in January the diplomatic staff will be restored both in Moscow and in London, he said. Yakovenko noted that he was not sure about the return to work of all employees. At the same time, he added that half of the embassy would be restored. As writes

14:09 20.12.2018

Former First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in the United States Oleg Divanov is accused of illegally issuing Russian passports to American citizens with Russian roots. The Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office have already transferred the materials on the diplomat's case to court, and his defense demands that the persecution of her principal be stopped. Divanovvina himself does not recognize, arguing that everything attributed to him is just a slander. As it became known to the Kommersant publication, the investigator of the head office of the ICR, dealing with especially important cases, Andrey Gilev and Deputy Prosecutor General Viktor Grin received statements from a lawyer

22:24 13.12.2018

A military diplomat from Slovakia working in Moscow was declared persona non grata by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Russian Federation. The diplomat, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, needs to leave the country within forty-eight hours. Zakharova recalled that last month the Slovak authorities announced the expulsion of a military diplomat from Russia from the country, so Moscow decided to take retaliatory measures, which, apparently, became completely mirrored. The practice of mirror responses is common worldwide.

10:39 11.07.2018

The Greek authorities have decided to expel two Russian diplomats from the country and ban the entry of two more employees of the diplomatic mission, the Athens newspaper Kathimerini reports. According to the publication, the Russians are accused of trying to interfere in the internal affairs of Greece and illegal actions that undermine the country's national security. Among other things, diplomats are suspected of collecting information and bribing officials. The newspaper calls the name of one of the deported Russians Viktor Yakovlev. In the list of diplomatic staff on the website of the Russian embassy in Greece, such a surname

20:21 27.06.2018

The alleged organizer of the smuggling of almost 400 kg of cocaine from Argentina to Russia, businessman Andrey Kovalchuk, asked not to impersonate the Russian side. His lawyers sent an official appeal to the Berlin court, which should consider the issue of extradition, RBC reports. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office sent a request to Germany for the extradition of Kovalchuk on March 29. A hearing date has not yet been set. According to the suspect's lawyer, Kovalchuk is very interested in a fair investigation, but Russia's vague and non-specific arguments in favor of him

20:41 11.05.2018

Veterans of the ATO (ATO is an anti-terrorist operation, as Kiev calls the actions of the Ukrainian military against the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass of the DPR and LPR) threatened a Russian diplomat who took part in the work of the UN General Assembly Committee on Information at the headquarters of the World Organization. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters about this on Friday. Zakharova, who also took part in the committee meetings, drew attention to the fact that on May 9, the Ukrainian delegation held a

09:15 12.04.2018

The authenticity of Yulia Skripal's statement, published by Scotland Yard, is in doubt, according to the Russian Embassy in the UK. The Embassy informs that it has read the text of the statement with interest. According to the diplomatic mission, one can only be glad for Skripal if everything stated in it is true. However, given the impossibility of verifying this in practice, the publication of the London Police raises more questions than answers, according to a message on the embassy website. The Embassy noted that the text should clearly support the statements

19:09 06.04.2018

Ukraine intends to submit proposals to the Russian side to send consuls to Rostov-on-Don, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports. This was stated by Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze on Ukrainian TV. We will submit our proposals to send our consuls to Rostov-on-Don. You and I understand that we need our consuls to be in Rostov. Due to the fact that five of them were expelled from Russia, it is important for us today to protect

15:24 05.04.2018

Austria did not expel Russian diplomats from the country. The chancellor answered the citizens live on the Puls 4 TV channel why Austria did not support the initiative of England against the Russian Federation. The Austrian state traditionally maintains warm and friendly relations with the Russian Federation, and also acts as the headquarters for many international organizations. The head of the country said during the broadcast that some EU countries did not expel Russian diplomats. The same decision was made by Sebastian Kurz and Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. Kurtz

07:49 04.04.2018

A spokesman for the US State Department said that Russia could send new diplomats to replace those previously expelled from the country, CNN reports. As has always happened in such situations, the Russian government may request accreditation of diplomats for vacant positions in the diplomatic mission, the State Department said. The Representative noted that each request for new diplomatic accreditations would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Russia did not notify us that it was going to reduce total number diplomats who can work for

18:39 01.04.2018

The high-profile international scandal, inflated by the British around the Salisbury incident, initially had far-reaching plans to isolate Russia. The meeting of the Council of Europe a week ago on the issue of chemical attacks is only part of an elaborate spectacle that has never been fully realized. According to the Voltaire Network, Theresa May's goal was the West's long-standing dream of depriving Russia of its veto power in resolving international conflicts at the UN and driving it once and for all into a pool of rogue states. Diplomatic boycott of Russia in the West

14:45 01.04.2018

The first plane of the special flight squad Russia with Russian diplomats expelled from the United States by Washington in connection with the Skripal case has arrived in Moscow. In total, 171 people left the United States: 60 employees and their families. Ambassador Antonov sees off expelled diplomats The US announced the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats on March 26. Washington linked its decision to the Skripal case. Moscow announced a mirror expulsion of 60 American diplomats and the closure of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov reported that all deportees

01:41 31.03.2018

Russia is expelling 13 Ukrainian diplomats, according to the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. As Russkaya Vesna previously reported, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said on March 26 that Kyiv was expelling 13 Russian diplomats due to the poisoning situation in the UK. former officer GRU Sergei Skripal and his daughter. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry explained that the expulsion of 13 Russian diplomats will take place in the near future, they will be declared persona non grata. They (the ambassadors, ed.) were handed notes of protest and stated that in response to the unreasonable demands of these, Russia was expelling diplomats from several countries

Moscow is expelling diplomats from a number of countries as a response to the expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions because of the Skripal case. These measures are mirror in nature. So, four Polish diplomats, three Lithuanian and Czech, two Italian and one Latvian, should leave Russia. Also expelled are two employees of the Dutch diplomatic mission, one Swedish and Estonian military attache Toomas Peda. All of them must leave the country before the fifth or seventh of April. The Foreign Ministry also demanded that London equalize the total number of diplomats and administrative

02:09 30.03.2018

The Russian authorities gave two days for the complete liberation of the building of the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg. Consent to the opening and operation of the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg has been withdrawn. American representatives must completely vacate what was previously provided to them for placement. this institution administrative building no later than March 31, according to a message published on Thursday on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. 60 American diplomats declared persona non grata must leave Russia by April 5: these are 58 embassy employees

20:50 29.03.2018

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that Moscow is taking retaliatory measures against the United States. The American Consulate General in St. Petersburg will be closed, and sixty US diplomats will be sent to their historical homeland. Lavrov also noted that the US Ambassador to Russia, John Huntsman, was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry to see Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who will inform him of the decision made in the Kremlin. Similar measures, about which Washington has been warned more than once, have already been put into effect. Attempts Western countries render

For objective reasons, Russia's ties with the United States of America, which for the foreseeable future will remain the world's most powerful economic and technological power, have a priority character for objective reasons. International security and the effectiveness of the efforts of the world community in the fight against new common threats depend on the situation in Russian-American relations. There are six Russian diplomatic missions on the territory, including the Russian mission to the UN.

Of strategic importance for Russia are relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region (APR), which have become locomotives of the world economy. Ties with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region are especially important for the recovery of the economy of Russia's eastern regions. Integration processes are gaining momentum in the Asia-Pacific region. Russia is actively strengthening ties with and other countries, participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, developing partnerships with the Association of States South-East Asia(ASEAN) and other regional organizations. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China and the states of Central Asia, has become a factor of stability in Asia.

Russia has a wide network of missions throughout Asia, including four in each of such large states as India, China,. Maintaining ties both with and with the Palestinian National Autonomy, Russia is making active efforts to unblock the Middle East conflict and is a member of the international "quartet" of mediators.
It is in the interests of Russia to restore and expand ties with the countries of Africa and Latin America that followed a period of their definite weakening in the 1990s. These ties, in particular, are important for the implementation of a number of the country's economic tasks and Russia's participation in solving key international problems. A strong impetus to the development of relations with the countries of Africa south of the Sahara was given by the first ever visit to this region of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin in 2006. Russia's interaction with many African and Latin American countries is based on long traditions and closeness of foreign policy views.

Strengthening the representation of Russia and expanding its geography is dictated by the urgent needs of the country and the need to protect the interests of Russian citizens. Broad international relations create favorable conditions for the development of the country's economy and the strengthening of national security.

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Diplomacy is the activity of the heads of state and special bodies for the implementation of external interactions of states. Special people protect the interests of their country. However, for this it is necessary to know the international situation and the state of affairs in different countries. It happens that it is diplomats who decide the fate of countries in negotiations, and not on the battlefield.

There are many examples in history that politicians demonstrate more talent than professional diplomats. In any case, the greatest figures were able to seize on fleeting signs, luck and direct the fate of their country in a good direction. Here are the names of those who can be considered a truly great diplomat.

Pericles (490-492 BC). In those days, all the major statesmen of Greece had to conduct diplomatic activities. One of the most famous diplomats of the ancient world was Pericles, the leader of Athens, under whom democracy flourished in this city. The Greek was born into a wealthy family, where he studied with his father, the leader. He invited the growing son to feasts. There, Pericles got acquainted with the art of politics, realizing that you can win not only on the battlefield, but with the help of diplomacy you can sometimes achieve no less. Own traditional education Pericles expanded by associating with prominent philosophers and artists. Over time, he set himself the goal of ruling the Athenian state. Pericles began to lead social activities. He himself was a very reserved man, whose way of life was considered impeccable. And the Athenian scientists always visited the politician's house, with whom the owner talked about science, politics, art. In public affairs, Pericles showed disinterestedness and modesty, he even allowed other speakers to express their thoughts and advice. The politician began to advocate for the preservation of the unity of the Delian Union, calling for the expulsion of the Persians from the Greek sea. But the defeat in the fight against the Persians forced Pericles to change his views. He realized that salvation is possible only in the complete submission of all allies to Athens. A new power could appear that would own the forces and resources of 200 states! First, the allied treasury was transferred to Athens, the city actually became the capital of a strong maritime power, managing its finances. All that remained was to unite the Greek world. Pericles himself led the fleet and defeated those who did not want to join the alliance. And although they saw him more as a commander, he himself considered himself a politician. Thus, a long-awaited truce was concluded with Sparta. Pericles made Athens the most beautiful city in Greece, ruling it like a monarch. Pericles treated his allies with respect, the tax was reasonable, and attempts to leave the union were suppressed military force. At the head of the expedition, the ruler and diplomat established ties with the states of the Black Sea, finding new friends. Even with the cities of Sicily and southern Italy, alliances were made. But over time, Sparta could not withstand such growth of Athens - the war began. Pericles was granted complete freedom. But the war dragged on, and besides, a plague broke out in Athens. The politician and diplomat himself was dismissed. But it turned out that there were no worthy people in the city to replace the famous Pericles, and he was again called to power. But he himself did not reign for long, having died from the plague. Athens quickly realized who they had lost - a great politician, ruler and diplomat, modest, kind and worthy.

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527). Niccolo Machiavelli was born into the family of a lawyer. The young man graduated from a city school, but could not enter the university because of the family's financial problems. Then Niccolo began to study himself, reading the works of Cicero, Caesar, Virgil, Ovid and other philosophers of antiquity. And his father introduced him to the founding of jurisprudence. At the age of 29, Machiavelli was able to be elected to the office of the republic. He headed it, taking over the work with foreign and military affairs. For 14 years of work, the diligent Florentine compiled several thousand diplomatic letters, he wrote military and government laws, made diplomatic trips to Italy, to the Pope and even to the French king. The situation over Italy thickened. Machiavelli traveled a lot, persuading the neighbors to remain faithful to the agreements. The mission to France was also important. There, the diplomat also assessed the situation in the country, and his messages home were no less important than the negotiations themselves. Machiavelli showed himself as a subtle psychologist. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was Machiavelli who was sent to the hottest spots, where conflicts only flared up. It must be said that in fulfilling the numerous instructions of the Republic, Machiavelli turned into a self-aware official. He began to dress well and never spared money for this. The death of the Florentine Republic in 1512 interrupted the political career of the famous diplomat. Once in exile, Machiavelli set to work. In 1513-1520, his most famous works appeared, including The Sovereign quoted by many politicians. The diplomat carried out small assignments, but could not return to big politics.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). This great statesman and politician managed to prove himself in many areas. The highest stages of his diplomatic activity was the representation of the North American colonies in 1757-1762 and 1765-1775. Franklin represented the United States in France from 1776-1785. Thanks to the diplomat, America concluded peace treaties with France in 1778 and England in 1783. Franklin, in addition to political activity, was directly related to science - it was he who invented the lightning rod. He is considered the first American journalist the best writer XVIII century, a real encyclopedist. In Paris, Franklin was generally considered a personality comparable in scale to Voltaire and Rousseau. And Benjamin was born in Boston, in the family of a soap maker, becoming the fifteenth child in the family. It was at his father's enterprise that he got his first experience, then moving to a printing house. But poverty did not allow a systematic education - Franklin had to comprehend everything with his own mind. The desire for knowledge remained with him throughout his life. At the age of 17, without money, Benjamin came to Philadelphia, eventually getting rich in the publishing business and acquiring his own printing house. At the age of 30, Franklin's political activity began when he was elected secretary Legislative Assembly Pennsylvania. In 1757, the first diplomatic experience took place - they had to defend the rights of their native lands in a dispute with the owners of the colony. The successful handling of disputes brought Franklin prestige in his homeland. Gradually, the diplomat realized that the colonies were rapidly moving towards independence, and petitions to London were not successful. Then in 1775 he returned to Philadelphia, where he was immediately elected a member of Congress. This body began to probe the ground regarding the mood in Europe on the issue of relations between England and the American colonies. A secret committee of correspondence was created, essentially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This body was headed by Franklin. He took an active part in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776. England sent troops to America to pacify the rebels. The young country needed a strong ally, and Franklin left for Paris for negotiations. This choice of the envoy was not accidental - he was the only American famous in Europe. The diplomat quickly befriended the French government and used a long-standing feud with England to lure Louis XVI into fighting. Thanks to the vigorous activity of Franklin, America managed to conclude peace on favorable terms for itself, and to keep France as an ally. Historians note that successful negotiations became possible only thanks to the eloquence of Benjamin Franklin. In 1785 he returned home to a warm welcome. And Franklin devoted his last years to the fight against slavery. After the death of the famous diplomat, Congress declared a month of mourning for such an honorable citizen. Today, Franklin's Porter is featured on the $100 bill as the diplomat continues his journey around the world.

Talleyrand (1754-1838). The name of this diplomat has become synonymous with cunning, dexterity and freedom from political principles. Talleyrand was born in Paris, in a poor but noble family. Physical injury prevented the boy from starting military service, that's why he became a clergyman. During the French Revolution, the young bishop was elected to the Estates General and then to the National Assembly. In 1797, a politician who had experience in international negotiations became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Talleyrand quickly saw the potential in Bonaparte, becoming his ally and helping to seize power. In 1799-1807, the diplomat was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Emperor Napoleon. He is actively involved in the establishment of a young state in Europe. But at the same time, Talleyrand began to actively take bribes from states hostile to France. In 1809, he himself offered his paid services to Metternich. An important day for the diplomat was March 31, 1814. The allies decided who would rule France in the future. Talleyrand actively advocated the legitimacy of a legitimate hereditary monarchy, which could not but please the winners. After the restoration of the Bourbons, the diplomat regained the post of head of the foreign affairs department and even managed to become the first prime minister in the history of France. The cunning diplomat managed to bargain for the most lenient conditions for the losing country. The finest hour for Talleyrand was the Congress of Vienna. First, he managed to enlist the support of offended small countries, and then actually dissolve the coalition and bring France out of international isolation. After the revolution of 1830, Talleyrand visited the government, and then became ambassador to England. There, he helped bring the two great neighbors together, but was forced to resign due to a bribery scandal.

Clemens Metternich (1773-1859). This Austrian diplomat went down in history as one of the main organizers of the reorganization of Europe after the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Metternich was foreign minister Austrian Empire from 1809 to 1848. An aristocrat by origin met with hostility French Revolution. In 1798 Metternich began his diplomatic career. In 1801 he became the imperial envoy in Dresden, and from 1803 in Berlin. Here he began to prepare a coalition against France, trying to persuade Prussia to join the alliance of Russia, England and Austria. Along with this, the diplomat became friends with the French, which was the reason to send him to the court of Napoleon. There Metternich defended the interests of his country, warning her of the impending attack by the French. Having taken the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, the diplomat immediately changed the vector of European politics - the daughter of Emperor Franz, Marie-Louise, became the wife of Napoleon. Thus ended the friendship between Russia and France. In the Russian company of Napoleon, Austria, which was experiencing financial problems, was able to remain neutral. In 1813, Metternich realized that peace with France would be impossible. Immediately, Austria entered the war on the side of the Allies. After the fall of Napoleon, Metternich opened the Congress of Vienna, which redrawn the map of Europe. Austria itself received the lion's share of the booty. The ideas of the diplomat triumphed - Italy and Germany remained fragmented. Metternich generally became famous for his conservatism and unwillingness to change anything in the established state of affairs. The national movements of 1820-1840 seemed superfluous to the diplomat. As a result, in Austria itself, popular unrest against harsh politics and censorship forced Metternich to resign.

Alexander Gorchakov (1798-1883). The diplomat was born into a princely family. His high origin helped him get into the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where he became a friend of Pushkin. Even then, the poet noted the qualities of his friend: observation, passion for light and fashion, which was so important for diplomacy. Wit and literary talents would then show up in Gorchakov's international notes. Already at the age of 22-24, the young diplomat accompanies Count Nesselrode to congresses. In 1822-1833, Gorchakov worked in the embassies of various European countries, gaining experience. In the 1840s, Gorchakov served in Germany, where the prince met Bismarck. In 1854, already being ambassador in Vienna, the diplomat managed to convince the Austrians to remain neutral and not support France and England in their treaty against Russia. The defeat in the Crimean campaign and the Treaty of Paris actually moved Russia away from making decisions in the political issues of Europe. In 1956, Gorchakov was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, realizing that it was necessary to restore Russia's former influence. Polish question consolidated Russia's friendship with Prussia and made it possible to evade the persistent attempts of France, England and Austria to protect the national rights of the Poles. Correspondence on this issue brought Gorchakov the fame of a prominent diplomat. The strengthening of Germany with the full support of Gorchakov helped him in 1870 to announce the revision of the terms of the Paris Treaty. Russia's decision displeased the great powers, but it was impossible not to agree with such an influential rival. Thus, only through diplomacy, Gorchakov managed to return to Russia the fleet on the Black Sea and its former influence in the region, without entering into wars. The last bright event in the career of a diplomat was the Berlin Congress, at which Gorchakov spoke little and rarely sat. The fate of the Balkan states was being decided, Russia received back Bessarabia, taken away by the Treaty of Paris. The great politician gradually retired, retaining the honorary title of State Chancellor.

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). The great diplomat was born into a wealthy Jewish family. Benjamin was engaged in his education himself, paying special attention to history. At a young age, Disraeli managed to play on the stock exchange, where he lost all his capital. The attempt to publish a newspaper also ended in failure. But the book "Vivian Gray" written by him in 20 books brought fame to the author. But Disraeli did not dream of becoming a writer, like his father. He had a more ambitious goal - to be prime minister by the age of 30. But only on the fifth attempt did Disraeli get into parliament. He was already 33 years old, and the finances of the novice politician were in a deplorable state. In 1852, Disraeli took the post of Minister of Finance and became leader of the House of Commons. In 1868, he briefly became prime minister, but after losing the election, he was retired and in opposition. Disraeli set about reforming his conservative party. He developed a solid foreign policy that was to make England great. In 1874, the politician again takes the post of prime minister. His primary attention was riveted to the issues of the colonies and the foreign policy of the state. He emphasized that there is a dilemma - to live in cozy England, like continental countries and wait for your fate or become great empire. The secret of the success of a politician and a diplomat was that no one else could define his goals so clearly, let alone achieve them. In 1875, Europe learned that England secretly bought up 40% of the shares of the Suez Canal. Disraeli proved to be a master of secret diplomacy, intrigue and intricacies. Through his actions, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India in 1876. In 1878, a Congress was held, which was supposed to decide the fate of the Balkans after Russian-Turkish war. The cunning Disraeli is said to have become the central figure in the negotiations. He was able to defend his point of view before Bismarck, and showed the Russian diplomat the train on which he was preparing to depart due to problems in the negotiations. The Russians had to make concessions. In parallel with this, Disraeli agreed with the Sultan on the cession of Cyprus to the British, which was to become a stronghold on the way to seizing territories in Asia. The diplomat returned home as a hero, having earned the Order of the Garter from the queen. Disraeli continued to lead the country, continuing the colonial policy. The diplomat is considered the most prominent political figure in England in the 19th century.

Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898). For centuries, Germany was fragmented. This great politician and diplomat managed to unite it. Parents gave Otto to study law, dreaming of seeing him as a diplomat. But the young Bismarck was a typical representative of the golden youth - he had fun with friends, fought duels and reveled with might and main. Such a past, even after defending his dissertation, prevented Bismarck from immediately entering the diplomatic field. The political career did not work out, as did the military one. At one time, Bismarck showed himself to be a practical landowner. But he got another chance to return to politics and in 1847 Bismarck became a deputy of the United Landtag of Prussia. There he showed himself with might and main thanks to energetic conservative attacks. After working as a deputy, Bismarck was sent as an ambassador to Russia. It is believed that communication with Vice-Chancellor Gorchakov had a great influence on him, as a diplomat. However, the German himself already showed the gift of political foresight, possessing a lively mind. Gorchakov singled out the ambassador, predicting a great future for him. In Russia, Bismarck learned the language and understood our way of thinking, which helped a lot in his future in politics. After being ambassador in Paris, Bismarck took over as Prime Minister of Prussia. Here he began to pursue a tough policy of unification of Germany, with iron and blood. I had to make war with Denmark and Austria, and in 1870-1871 France was crushingly defeated. From all the defeated states, the Germans took their historical lands. In 1871 the Empire was proclaimed. Bismarck soon realized that Germany could not dominate Europe as long as part of the Germans remained under the heel of the Habsburgs and Austria. Fearing revenge from France, the diplomat begins rapprochement with Russia. The diplomat did everything possible to prevent a coalition against his country from forming. He understood that even with a strong army, Germany could not withstand a war on two fronts. As the practice of two world wars showed, the great German diplomat was right.

Andrei Gromyko (1909-1989). We can say that this particular Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR was the main acting figure cold war. But thanks to his efforts, it did not develop into the Third World War. Gromyko held the highest diplomatic post in the Soviet Union from 1957 to 1985, shaping the state's foreign policy both during the thaw and during the period of stagnation. It is believed that the entire modern Russian diplomatic school grew out of his experiences and lessons. Gromyko was an economist by education. But in 1939, after the extermination, during the purges, of most of the diplomatic corps, a young specialist was called there. Molotov personally recommended Andrei Gromyko for the post of ambassador to the United States, where he stayed from 1943 to 1946. It is Molotov that the young diplomat considers his teacher in foreign policy. Gromyko preferred to act with the utmost caution. He understood that internal orders would necessarily influence external affairs. Therefore, the diplomat obediently listened to the leadership of the CPSU, without entering into open disagreements with the leaders. Gromyko was remembered for his sober judgments and clear views. This diplomat read a lot, was fond of philosophy. At the negotiations he had no equal, which is why his style is still imitated today. The diplomat understood that the Third World War destroy all life, so he avoided military confrontation with the United States in every possible way. Gromyko was constantly negotiating with America, thus reducing the degree and not allowing relations to escalate. But the diplomat was not particularly interested in the East. On the other hand, Gromyko's activities formed the basis of the first steps of the UN, he always supported the formation of a new international body. Since 1961, the diplomat became a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, and from 1973 to 1988 he was a member of the Politburo. He signed treaties on the limitation of nuclear weapons and missile defense. It was thanks to the diplomat that Soviet diplomacy achieved its highest success - the Final Act of the CSCE was signed in Helsinki on August 1, 1975. The existing borders of countries, including the GDR, were recognized, as well as the limited sovereignty of the allies of the USSR under the Warsaw Pact. Thanks to Gromyko, the weight of Soviet diplomacy increased significantly. Personally, he managed to prevent the military actions of the USSR against Israel in 1983, but Soviet troops in Afghanistan, he failed to resist. Although the diplomat helped Gorbachev take the post of General Secretary, he did not share his ideas about disarmament and perestroika.

Henry Kissinger (born 1923). Famous American statesman served as National Security Adviser to the President of the United States and was Secretary of State from 1973-1977. As a diplomat, Kissinger showed himself most clearly in the course of the Soviet-American negotiations on the limitation of strategic arms, in the Paris talks on solving problems in Vietnam. For his activities, a diplomat even receives Nobel Prize world in 1973. And he was born not at all in America, but in Germany, in a poor Jewish family. However, at the age of 15, the family emigrated to escape the Nazis. Henry even managed to fight at the very end of World War II. And in 1947, Kissinger entered Harvard, where he immediately stood out for his intelligence, success in history and philosophy. Then he continued scientific activity, becoming a teacher of the history of diplomacy. In 1955, Kissinger joined a research group dealing with relations with the USSR. Monograph Nuclear weapon and foreign policy won the Woodrow Wilson Award and greatly influenced the politics of the country. At 39, Kissinger became a professor at Harvard, then he began to gradually connect to government research and work on national security commissions. Kissinger's articles give advice on foreign policy and are also published in Europe. In 1968, the scientist received an invitation from newly elected President Nixon to become his assistant. So Kissinger became an important figure in the administration, preparing options for final decisions in foreign policy. The diplomat led the negotiations in a number of areas - problems with Vietnam, negotiations with the USSR and China. He was talked about as a clear and businesslike politician who did not shy away from specific problems. Although Kissinger was not comfortable for everyone as a diplomat, he was never boring. In 1969-1972, the diplomat visited 26 countries, he accompanied the president in his 140 meetings with leaders of other countries. And Kissinger's signing of the peace agreement in Vietnam brought him the Nobel Prize. The diplomat paid special attention to relations with the USSR. Under him, the administration tried to pursue the most rigid course, seeking to acquire allies in Europe. Thanks to Kissinger, negotiations were held on the limitation of strategic arms, and relative parity was established between the parties. And in 1973, Kissinger's negotiations turned hostile relations with China into allies. The diplomat stressed that one should not directly interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, this would directly harm American interests. In the Arab-Israeli positions, Kissinger insisted on maintaining the uncertain situation, which brought the US and Israel closer. After leaving the post of President D. Ford, Kissinger also left his post, acting since then as a private consultant.

Exactly 210 years ago, on March 13, 1807, Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, a Russian diplomat, traveler and entrepreneur, passed away. Along with Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky, he was the leader and participant in the first domestic round-the-world voyage. Rezanov was also the first official Russian ambassador to Japan and was the compiler of one of the first Russian-Japanese dictionaries. Nikolai Rezanov gained immense fame thanks to the musical "Juno and Avos", the first performer of the role of Rezanov in it was the famous Soviet actor Nikolai Karachentsov.

The future Russian diplomat was born in St. Petersburg on March 28, 1764 in a poor noble family. His father, Pyotr Gavrilovich Rezanov, was a collegiate adviser, and his mother, Alexandra Rezanov, was the daughter of Major General G. A. Okunev. His father was unable to gain a foothold in the capital, but was assigned to Irkutsk, then the capital of Eastern Siberia, vast territories stretching from the Yenisei to Pacific Ocean. Here he was offered the post of chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court.

Not much is known about Nikolai Rezanov's childhood. It is noted that he received a very good education at home. At the same time, Nikolai from childhood was distinguished by excellent linguistic abilities. By the age of 14, he already knew five European languages which largely determined his future life. Then, at the age of 14, in 1778, he entered the military service, first in the artillery. But quickly enough for dexterity, stateliness and good natural data, he was transferred to the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment. There are versions that Empress Catherine II herself could contribute to this. In 1780, during her trip to the Crimea, Nikolai Rezanov was personally responsible for her safety, at that time he was only 16 years old.

For unknown reasons, Rezanov soon left the service. Perhaps the reason was court intrigues and the Empress's disappointment in him, one way or another he left the military service and the court. He changes all this for a rather boring, but calm service, having entered the Pskov Chamber of the Civil Court as an assessor. Here he served for about 5 years, receiving a salary of 300 rubles a year, after which he was transferred to the capital to the Treasury Chamber.

After that, a sharp jump in his career followed again. Nikolai Rezanov becomes head of the office of Count N. G. Chernyshov. Such career growth testifies not only to his business qualities, but also about someone's rather powerful support and patronage. For an ordinary official not from the nobility or from the provincial nobles, such "jumps" through the ranks through several steps were unlikely, many of them, starting service from the lowest 14th grade in the "Table of Ranks", could rise to the rank of collegiate assessor, who gave the right to hereditary nobility, only towards old age.

After the appointment in 1791 of Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin as secretary for a report on "senate memorials" (documents submitted by the senate for approval) under Catherine II, Rezanov is transferred to his service immediately as the ruler of the chancellery, this appointment opens the doors of many houses and offices of St. Petersburg to him, including the most senior nobles. Occasionally, even he has to carry out personal assignments for the Empress, and this further accelerates his career. After some time, he enters the staff of the new favorite of the Empress P. A. Zubov, who, seeing him as a competitor, under a plausible pretext sends Rezanov from St. America.

This trip for Rezanov is fateful. On January 24, 1795, he marries Shelikhov's 15-year-old daughter, Anna. The girl receives a title of nobility, and the groom - a very good dowry. Six months later, Grigory Shelikhov dies, and Nikolai Rezanov becomes a co-owner of part of his capital. At the same time, the formation and development of the Russian-American company fell into the sphere of his interests.

After the death of Catherine II, Rezanov returned to St. Petersburg, who replaced the Empress Paul I, who received him very well. In 1797, Rezanov became first secretary, and then chief secretary of the Senate. She is working on the drafting of the "Charter on Prices", and also establishes the layout of the land tax in Moscow and St. Petersburg. For this work, he is awarded the Order of St. Anne II degree and a pension of 2,000 rubles a year. Also, Emperor Paul I managed to sign a decree on the creation on the basis of the company of the merchant Shelikhov and a number of other Siberian merchants of a single Russian-American company (RAC). The head office of the trading semi-state company was transferred from Irkutsk to St. Petersburg, and Nikolai Rezanov was appointed as the authorized correspondent (representative) of the RAC. Since then, he has been both a high-ranking civil servant and an entrepreneur at the same time. Nikolai held the post of chief secretary of the ruling Senate until 1799.

Monument to Rezanov in Krasnoyarsk, erected in 2007

On July 18, 1801, Rezanov's son Peter was born, and on October 6, 1802, daughter Olga. 12 days after the birth of her daughter, Anna Reazanova dies of childbed fever, Nikolai Rezanov becomes a widower. Not wanting to let him retire, Emperor Alexander I sends Rezanov as the first Russian envoy to Japan. The embassy is expected to establish trade relations between states. At the same time, this assignment was initially very difficult to fulfill, since Japan has been pursuing a policy of strict isolationism over the past 150 years. Rezanov should go to Japan together with the first Russian round-the-world sea expedition. A month before setting off on a campaign, on July 10, 1803, Rezanov was awarded the title of chamberlain of His Majesty's court, and he was also awarded the Order of St. Anna, I degree. Along with Kruzenshtern, Rezanov was appointed head of the forthcoming expedition.

On August 7, 1803, the expedition, which consisted of two ships: "Nadezhda" under the command of Krusenstern (it had a general naval leadership of the expedition) and "Neva" under the command of Lisyansky, set sail. In November, the expedition crossed the equator, and celebrated Christmas off the coast of Brazil. During the expedition, Rezanov seriously quarreled with Krusenstern. Most of the way they communicated only with the help of notes, while after one of the scandals, Rezanov closed himself in a cabin, which he did not leave until the ship arrived in Petropavlovsk. The reason for the quarrels was Rezanov's desire to carry out the general leadership of the expedition. The official, who had never been at sea before, tried to direct the actions of naval officers and sailors, which did not find support from them.

In Petropavlovsk, the Governor-General of Kamchatka barely managed to reconcile Rezanov with Kruzenshtern. As a result, having taken a guard of honor for the ambassador here (2 officers, 5 soldiers and a drummer), the Nadezhda sailed to Japan, and the Neva to Alaska. On September 26, 1804, Rezanov's mission reached the city of Nagasaki. At the same time, the Japanese did not let the Russian ship into the harbor, so Kruzenshtern anchored in the bay. The ambassador was allowed to go to the Japanese coast, providing a luxurious house for living. True, the ambassador was forbidden to leave the house, he was ordered to wait for an answer from the emperor on the spot. Any food was delivered to him on demand, money was not taken from him and they were treated with emphatic politeness. This went on for half a year, until a dignitary arrived in March, who brought back a reply from the Emperor of Japan. The answer said that he would not accept Rezanov's embassy and did not want to trade with Russia, while the emperor returned all the gifts brought back, demanding that Rezanov and Krusenstern's ship leave Japan. Rezanov's embassy mission failed.

Upon returning to Petropavlovsk, Rezanov learns that Kruzenshtern was awarded the Order of St. Anna of the II degree, and he was granted only a snuffbox, albeit studded with diamonds. He was also released from further participation in circumnavigation, Emperor Alexander I ordered him to inspect Russian settlements in Alaska. The chamberlain wanted to be rehabilitated in the eyes of the emperor, so he approached the new task with great zeal. On the trading brig "Maria" on August 26, 1805, he arrived in the bay of Novo-Arkhangelsk. Here on the island of Sitka, he met the merchant A. A. Baranov, the ruler of "Russian America".

Novo-Arkhangelsk. Artist S. V. Penn. Central Naval Museum, St. Petersburg

In Novo-Arkhangelsk, Rezanov was struck by the lack of the most necessary, including food products, which negatively affected the Russian colony. Seeing that Baranov could not solve this problem, Rezanov purchased the ship "Juno" from the visiting American businessman John Wolfe. The ship was bought along with the transported cargo of food, which was enough for the initial support of compatriots in Novo-Arkhangelsk. At the same time, food was scarce until spring. Therefore, Nikolai Rezanov ordered the construction of another ship, which was called Avos. On February 26, 1806, together with this ship, he departed for the port of San Francisco, which belonged to the Spaniards. His plans were to establish trade relations with the Spaniards in order to further extend the influence of the Russian colonists to the lands of California.

A month later, "Juno" and "Avos" reached the San Francisco Bay. Spain, which in those years was part of an alliance with Napoleonic France, was Russia's opponent in the war. However, Rezanov needed to succeed in the negotiations at any cost. During the six weeks of his stay in San Francisco, he managed to completely subdue the local governor of Upper California, José Arillaga, and also became close friends with the family of the commandant of the fortress, José Dario Argüello. A well-educated Russian nobleman, a civil servant, who knows many foreign languages and being a knight of the Maltese Grand Cross of St. John of Jerusalem, Rezanov managed to win the heart of the daughter of the commandant of the fortress, Concepsia de Arguello (Conchita). He made a marriage proposal to a 15-year-old girl, Nikolai Rezanov himself at that time was 42 years old.

Based on Rezanov's reports, he did not look like a man who lost his head with love. The ship's doctor also thought the same, who assumed diplomatic views and benefits in such behavior of Rezanov. At the same time, witnesses noted that on the part of Conchita there could be more calculation than real passion. Rezanov could inspire her with the idea of a luxurious life in Russia at the imperial court. In any case, the girl dreamed of becoming the wife of a Russian chamberlain, her parents could not dissuade her, in the end, her determination reassured them. The Spaniards decided to leave the question of marriage behind the Roman throne, while agreeing to betroth Rezanov to his daughter. June 11, 1806 "Juno" and "Avos" loaded to the top with food sailed from the hospitable San Francisco. They took to Alaska 2156 pounds of wheat, 560 pounds of legumes and 351 pounds of barley. At the same time, Nikolai Petrovich promised Conchita and her parents that he would return back in two years with a marriage license, and Conchita vowed to wait for her betrothed fiancé.

What specific goals were pursued by Rezanov and Conchita today is almost impossible to determine. Perhaps Rezanov saw great prospects in this marriage for RAC, the development of Alaska, as well as Spanish California by Russian colonists, or maybe it really was the most ordinary love story. But the ending of this story, regardless of the desires and thoughts of its main characters, as we all know, was tragic.

The cenotaph, erected in August 2007 in Krasnoyarsk, repeats the original monument over the grave of Rezanov

In September 1806, Nikolai Petrovich left Russian America and reached Okhotsk. The autumn thaw was already beginning, it was impossible to move on. However, Rezanov wanted to return to St. Petersburg as soon as possible, setting out on horseback. Moving through numerous rivers, he fell into the water several times, spent the night in the snow, and caught a terrible cold. In Yakutsk, he lay unconscious and in a fever for 12 days. But as soon as he woke up, he set off again. As a result, everything ended with the fact that he lost consciousness and fell off the horse, hitting his head hard. He was barely able to be taken to Krasnoyarsk, where on March 1 (March 13 according to the new style), 1807, he died and was buried in the cemetery of the Resurrection Cathedral.

It is worth noting that Conchita remained faithful to Rezanov. In 1808, having learned about Rezanov's death from his relative, she never married anyone. For twenty years she lived with her parents, did charity work, taught Indian children to read and write, and then went to a monastery. She died in 1857, without violating the oath given to Rezanov. She was buried near San Francisco in the cemetery of the Dominican order.

The name of Rezanov came to us precisely thanks to this love story. A touching story Spanish girl and Russian traveler-missionary formed the basis of the poem "Maybe" by A. A. Voznesensky. Later, it became the literary basis for the famous Soviet rock opera "Juno and Avos" by composer A. L. Rybnikov, as well as the performance of the Lenkom Theater (the main roles were played by N. Karachentsov, E. Shanina). In these works, the image of Rezanov was significantly romanticized. And the performance of his role by Karachentsov only added to the popularity of the character.

Based on materials from open sources

Historians believe that during its existence, mankind has experienced 14 thousand wars. It goes without saying that we are talking about wars Mentioned in all kinds of annals, legends and tales, as well as listed in all sorts of tablets. And another notorious figure: more than 4 billion people were killed in these wars. Until recently, this was the population the globe. So imagine for a moment that our planet was depopulated in the blink of an eye. Creepy picture, isn't it?! That's what all this fun with bows, arrows, swords, guns, cannons, tanks, planes and rockets cost.

I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that there would be much more wars on the planet, which means even more destroyed cities and villages, not to mention millions of lost human lives, if it were not for the quiet and humble people who are called diplomats and who, on duty, are “authorized to maintain official relations with foreign states».

The origins of the formation of the Russian diplomatic service date back to the period Ancient Rus' and the subsequent period, when the Russian statehood was created and strengthened. Back in the IX-XIII centuries. Ancient Rus' at the stage of creating its statehood was an active subject international relations. It had a significant impact on the formation political map Eastern Europe of those years from the Carpathians to the Urals, from the Black Sea to Lake Ladoga and the Baltic Sea.

One of the first milestones in the creation of ancient Russian diplomacy known to us was the sending of the Russian embassy to Constantinople in 838. His goal was to establish direct contacts with Byzantium. Already in the next, 839 at court french king Louis the Pious was visited by a joint embassy of the Byzantine Empire and Ancient Rus'. The first treaty in the history of our country "On Peace and Love" was concluded between Russia and the Byzantine Empire in 860, and, in essence, its signing can be considered as a documented act of international legal recognition of Rus' as a subject of international relations. By IX-X centuries. the origin of the ancient Russian embassy service, as well as the beginning of the formation of a hierarchy of diplomats, also applies.

It so happened that in Rus', not only diplomats, but also grand dukes, tsars and emperors were engaged in official relations with foreign states. Let's say the Grand Duke Oleg, Igor and Svyatoslav were not only excellent warriors, but also cunning diplomats. Not inferior to them in the art of negotiations and the conclusion of profitable alliances and wise - Olga. They outwitted even the mighty Byzantium: either losing or winning frequent wars, they secured the Northern Black Sea region and the Taman Peninsula.

Wife of Prince Igor of Kyiv. Ruled Russia in the childhood of his son Svyatoslav and during his campaigns. Suppressed the uprising of the Drevlyans. She converted to Christianity around 957. Olga ruled the Russian land not as a woman, but as a reasonable and strong man, she firmly held power in her hands and courageously defended herself from enemies.

But the most far-sighted, prudent and prudent of all was, of course, Vladimir the Red Sun, who not only concluded a military alliance treaty with powerful Byzantium and married a Byzantine princess, but also introduced Orthodoxy in Rus'. It was a brilliant move!

But the prince was tempted by Muslims, Jews, and messengers from the pope.

So Rus' became a Christian country, and after the fall of the Byzantine Empire - a stronghold of Orthodoxy.

From the second half of the XI century. and right up to the Mongol-Tatar invasion, Rus' was immersed in a painful process of internecine wars that drained its resources. The once united state turned out to be fragmented into princely destinies, which were, in fact, only half independent. The political split of the country could not but destroy its unified foreign policy, it also eliminated everything that had been laid down in the previous period in the field of the formation of the Russian diplomatic service. However, even in that most difficult period for Russia in its history, one can find vivid examples of diplomatic art. So, Prince Alexander Nevsky, who became famous for his victories on the Neva over the army of the Swedes in 1240 and in the Battle of the Ice over the German crusader knights in 1242, proved himself not only a commander, but also a wise diplomat. At that time, Rus' held the defense both in the East and in the West. The Mongols, led by Batu Khan, ravaged the country. Invaders from the West tried to subjugate what had survived the invasion of the Horde. Alexander Nevsky played the most difficult diplomatic game, skillfully maneuvering, seeking the forgiveness of the rebellious princes, the release of prisoners, and getting rid of the obligation to send Russian troops to support the Horde during their campaigns. He himself repeatedly traveled to the Golden Horde in order to prevent a repetition of the devastating invasion of Batu Khan. Not without reason in pre-revolutionary Russia, Saint Alexander Nevsky was considered the heavenly patron of the Russian diplomatic service, and at the beginning of 2009, by a popular vote, it was he who was named by the Russians the most outstanding historical figure in Russia.

It is known from historical sources that Alexander Nevsky built his activities on three principles that surprisingly coincide with the principles of modern international law. Three of his phrases have come down to us: “God is not in power, but in truth”, “To live without stepping into other people's parts” and “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword”. They easily guess the key principles of modern international law: non-use of force or threat of force, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, inviolability of the territorial integrity of states and inviolability of borders, the right of states to individual and collective self-defense in case of aggression. Alexander Nevsky always considered the provision of peace for Rus' to be his most important task. Therefore, he attached great importance to the development of mutually beneficial trade and spiritual and cultural ties with all the countries of Europe and Asia. He concluded the first special agreement in Russian history with representatives of the Hanseatic League (a medieval prototype of the European Economic Community). Under him, in fact, the beginning of diplomatic contacts between Russia and China was laid. During the time of Alexander Nevsky, Rus' began to use the benefits of its geographical location, a kind of link between Europe and Asia, for which the prince is often called the "first Eurasian". Thanks to the support of Alexander Nevsky, in 1261 the first diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Rus' was created in the Golden Horde.

In the XV century. as a result of the weakening and then the final overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar yoke and the creation of a centralized Russian state with its capital in Moscow, monocratic Russian diplomacy began to gradually take shape. By the end of the 15th century, already under Ivan III, Russian diplomacy faced such important tasks that special attention had to be paid to them in order to solve them. Having ascended the princely throne, Ivan III in 1470 made a choice in favor of "correcting life" (the word "reform" appeared in Rus' much later). Starting step by step to collapse the princely federation and liquidate the Novgorod veche republic, he took the path of forming a system of power, which later received the name "state service". Concerned about the international status of the strong unified state he created, Ivan III departed from the tradition of communicating mainly with neighboring Lithuania and, in fact, was the first to "cut a window to Europe." He married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, Zoya Paleolog (in Rus', after the adoption of Orthodoxy, she received the name Sophia), who was a pupil of the Pope. This marriage was preceded by intensive diplomatic communication with Catholic Rome, which allowed Ivan III bring Rus' out of political and cultural isolation and begin to communicate with the West, where Rome was the most influential political force. In the retinue of Sophia Paleolog, and then on their own, many Italians came to Moscow, including architects and gunsmiths, who left a noticeable mark on the culture of Russia.

Ivan III was a good diplomat. He turned out to be quite perspicacious and, having unraveled the plan of Rome, did not succumb to the attempts of the papal throne to pit Rus' against the Ottoman Empire. Ivan III also rejected the cunning approaches of the German Emperor Frederick III, who offered the Russian Grand Duke the title of king. Realizing that the consent to accept this title from the emperor would put him in a subordinate position, Ivan III firmly declared that he was ready to speak with other states only on an equal footing. For the first time in Rus', a double-headed eagle appeared on the state seal of Ivan III - a symbol of royal power, which emphasized the successive connection between Rus' and Byzantium. Ivan III also introduced significant changes in the procedure for receiving foreign ambassadors, becoming the first of the Russian monarchs to communicate with them personally, and not through the Boyar Duma, which was entrusted with the functions of receiving foreign diplomats, negotiating, drafting documents on embassy affairs.

Russian diplomacy was just as active in later times, when Moscow became the center of the state.

In the second half of the XV - beginning of the XVI century. as the Russian lands were united into a centralized Russian state his international prestige steadily increased, and international contacts expanded. At first, Rus' used mainly foreigners who were in the service of Moscow as ambassadors, but under Grand Duke Vasily III, foreigners were replaced by Russians. There was a need to create a special department that would purposefully deal with the foreign affairs of the state. In 1549, Tsar Ivan the Terrible created the Posolsky Prikaz, the first central government agency in Russia to deal with foreign affairs. Moreover, since the first mention of the Ambassadorial Order dates back to February 10, then this very day, but already in 2002, was chosen as the date of the professional holiday of Russian diplomacy - the Day of the diplomatic worker. The Ambassadorial order was headed by one of the most educated people of that time, clerk Ivan Mikhailovich Viskovaty, who became a duma clerk and took the embassy business into his own hands. After in 1570, due to internal strife, I. M. Viskovaty was accused of being a "Turkish, Polish and Crimean spy", and then publicly executed by decree of Ivan the Terrible, the Ambassadorial order was headed by the Shchelkalov brothers, first Andrei and then Vasily.

Viskovaty Ivan Mikhailovich(Moscow diplomat of the 16th century). Moved forward at a time of intense organizational activity Ivana IV, as a clerk (since 1549). In collaboration with Adashev Viskovaty until the end of his life he was in charge of foreign relations. It is not without reason that they believe that the Polish order itself was finally formed by 1556 through the work of Viskovaty; he also compiled an inventory of the embassy archive. In 1561 Viskovaty was appointed printer, thus connecting the possession of the state seal with the diplomatic department - a custom that survived in the 17th century. In 1563 Viskovaty traveled to Denmark for negotiations on Livonian affairs. During Grozny's dangerous illness in 1553. Viskovaty he was the first to give the tsar the idea of appointing an heir, and in the rising palace turmoil he was one of the first to support the candidacy of the young Dmitry. In 1554, he was appointed a member of the investigative commission of the boyar duma in the case of the betrayal of Prince Semyon of Rostov. Condescendingly reacted to Viskovaty the church council of the same year about Bashkin's heresy, in which Viskovaty not only fell himself, but also involved others (he was subjected to a 3-year penance). Job Title: Printer Viskovaty was a member of the boyar duma; in this capacity we see him at the Zemsky Sobor of 1566. Having happily passed the disgrace in the 60s, Viskovaty paid with his life in 1571 in an obscure case of Novgorod treason: he was accused of intending to transfer Novgorod to the Polish king, Astrakhan and Kazan to the sultan Viskovaty, was brutally executed on the square in Kitay-gorod. B.R.

Andrey Yakovlevich Shchelkalov(? - 1598) - statesman, duma clerk and diplomat in the reign of Ivan the Terrible and Fyodor Ioannovich.

Descended from a little-known and uninfluential family. His father, Yakov Semyonovich Shchelkalov, was a deacon. Andrei was ten years older than his brother Vasily.

Despite his low origin, he, along with Vasily, achieved great influence on state affairs in the last quarter of the 16th century. During his almost half a century of service, Shchelkalov performed a variety of assignments, occupied various positions and places, and sometimes managed several orders at the same time. For the first time, the name of Andrei Shchelkalov appears in 1550, when he was recorded in the "thousandth book" and consisted of " in ranks among the subjects of the market". In this position, he is also mentioned in 1556 in the marching lists.

In 1560 he was a bailiff at the Lithuanian ambassadors, and in 1563 he was already recorded as a deacon in the painting of the Polotsk campaign; under the same year, one of the old documents calls him the second embassy clerk. Apparently, it was in this rank that Shchelkalov was on September 26, 1564, among other dignitaries who received the ambassadors of the German master Wolfgang, and took part in the negotiations " about the case”, that is, about the conditions under which the release from Russian captivity of the Livonian master Firstenberg could take place

In 1564, he was mentioned among several trusted people of Ivan the Terrible when the latter met with the Lithuanian ambassador Mikhail Garaburda. This meeting took place in Novgorod.

In 1566, Shchelkalov participated in the Zemsky Sobor, signed its definition and sealed the letter of trust for Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky.

In 1581, he conducted all negotiations with the Jesuit Anton Possevin, and in 1583 with the English ambassador Yeremey Baus, who wrote the following in a letter dated August 12, 1584: “ I announce that when I left Moscow, Nikita Romanov and Andrei Shchelkalov considered themselves kings and therefore were called by many people».

Foreigners, especially the British, did not like Andrei Shchelkalov, as well as his brother Vasily Yakovlevich, and gave very unflattering reviews about them, mainly due to the fact that the Shchelkalovs sought to destroy the trading privileges of foreign merchants.

Boris Godunov, considering him necessary for governing the state, was very disposed towards this clerk, who was at the head of all other clerks in whole country. In all regions and cities, nothing was done without his knowledge and desire. Boris Godunov highly valued Shchelkalov for his intelligence, diplomatic dexterity, but later disgraced him for "arbitrariness": Andrei Yakovlevich and his brother Vasily " distorted the paintings of people's pedigrees and influenced the local routine, compiling lists of administrative appointments". In general, they achieved such an influence that the clerks never had.

Andrei Yakovlevich Shchelkalov died, having accepted monasticism with the name Theodosius.

Europe also learned the names of such prominent Russian diplomats as Gramotin. Ordin-Nashchokin, Golitsyn and a little later, Panin Vorontsov, Bezborodko, Rumyantsev and Goncharov.

Gramotin Ivan Tarasevich- Judge of the Posolsky Prikaz, for 44 years he consistently served all Moscow tsars, impostors and applicants for Russian throne. He was forced to live in exile in Poland for some time, fell into disgrace twice, but then held higher positions. Unscrupulousness and self-interest were combined in this man with rare political abilities and literary talent. Among the embassy clerks, Ivan Gramotin also looks like an exceptional figure: he traveled abroad three times as part of embassies, and he was placed at the head of the Ambassadorial Department six times. Moreover, after Shchelkalov, he was the first head of the foreign policy of the Moscow State to achieve an official award to the rank of printer.

Gramotin's year of birth is unknown. The first mention of him refers to 1595, when he was entrusted with the documentation of the diplomatic mission. At the initial stage of his career, Ivan Tarasevich was referred to in official documents as Ivan Kurbatov, and only since 1603, when he was promoted to the duma clerks, did he appear under the name of his father - Gramotin.

In 1599, Ivan Gramotin, as part of the Vlasyev embassy, visited Germany, and upon his return to Russia, he is mentioned as a clerk of the Novgorod quarter. Soon, his affairs went uphill, perhaps thanks to the patronage of the new judge of the Ambassadorial Order, Afanasy Vlasyev, who returned from Poland in 1602, who knew Gramotin from joint participation in two embassies.

A year later, Gramotin already served as a duma clerk of the Local Order. He received the right to participate in meetings of the highest state body of Russia - the Boyar Duma. At the same time Gramotin for the first time had to head the diplomatic department of Russia: in the absence of Vlasyev, who was with the embassy in Denmark, from July 1603 to January 1604, Ivan Tarasevich acted as a judge of the Ambassadorial order.

The first months of 1604 became a difficult time for Ivan Gramotin: he was removed from the leadership of foreign policy even before Vlasyev returned from Denmark; He left the local order no later than the beginning of April; from February to November 1604, not a single mention of him has yet been found. Perhaps Gramotin was disgraced, but there is no evidence for this.

In November, Gramotin was sent as part of an army to the Seversk land to fight against the pretender to the throne, False Dmitry I, who had entered the territory of Russia. After the death of Tsar Boris Godunov, together with the Moscow army, he went over to the side of the impostor. For this he received a duma deacon. Upon returning to Moscow, in August of the following year, in connection with the departure of the embassy clerk Afanasy Vlasyev to the foreign embassy, Gramotin was again placed at the head of domestic diplomacy.

During the short reign of False Dmitry I, Gramotin remained one of the most influential people at court. Ivan Tarasevich continued to participate in diplomatic affairs even after Vlasyev returned from Poland. In particular, he met before the audience the father of the royal bride - Yuri Mnishek. On May 8, 1606, Gramotin attended the wedding of the Tsar and Marina Mnishek; on the same day, Ivan Tarasevich was sent by False Dmitry to the Polish ambassadors Gonsevsky and Olesnitsky with an invitation to a wedding feast. Later, on the eve of the death of the impostor, Gramotin, together with the head of the Ambassadorial Department Vlasyev, joined the response commission for negotiations with the Polish ambassadors.

On May 17, 1606, False Dmitry was killed, Vasily Shuisky was proclaimed king. Soon Gramotin, like other close associates of the impostor, was expelled from Moscow. In the first days after the coup, Gramotin for the third time headed the Ambassadorial Order instead of the disgraced Afanasy Vlasyev. The temporary appointment of Gramotin to the post of head of the foreign affairs department is apparently due to the fact that he was the most knowledgeable person about the diplomacy of False Dmitry I. Ivan Tarasevich did not remain at the head of the Ambassadorial Prikaz for long: already on June 13, 1606, Telepnev became the head of this department. Well, Gramotin, being close to the impostor, fell into disgrace: he was deprived of his Duma rank and sent to Pskov, where he had to live for about two years.

There is evidence of Gramotin's activities in the Pskov period: the clerk sent his people "rob Christians and ordered them to drive their cattle to Pskov; he himself left Pskov, took many Christians prisoner, tortured them, on a great bribe he let them go." The cruelty and bribery of the governor Sheremetev and the clerk Gramotin became one of the reasons for the city uprising on September 2, 1608, as a result of which Pskov swore allegiance to False Dmitry II. The rebellious townspeople killed the governor Peter Sheremetev; Ivan Gramotin saved his life by going over to the side of the new "miraculously saved Tsar Demetrius."

The clerk left for the impostor's Tushino camp near Moscow and soon became one of the "thief's" closest advisers.

Some information about Ivan Gramotin and his role in the Moscow administration was preserved in the order to the Russian ambassadors sent in 1615 to negotiate with the Poles near Smolensk. He tried to persuade the boyars to elect not Prince Vladislav as king, but King Sigismund himself - it was written in the order: “And tell Hetman Khotkeev: he himself spoke about this to all the boyars, and he said the royal letter in his house, and Prince Yury Trubetskoy, and Ivan Gramotin, and Vasily Yanov sent us to all the boyars about that, so that we all kiss the cross to the king himself” . Russian diplomats were instructed to say: "You, Alexander, were in the order in Moscow, you owned everything as you wanted, and in the Ambassadorial order there was a traitor to the Moscow state, deacon Ivan Gramotin, your adviser, and he wrote this on the advice of you, and he had boyar seals, and you wrote what they wanted, and they printed it, but the boyars did not know that. According to the official version, Gramotin wrote "boyar" letters to Sapega with a call to go near Moscow against the head of the first militia, Procopy Lyapunov, and also to the king with a message about the arrest of Patriarch Hermogenes by decision of the boyars. In 1611, Ivan Gramotin, by order of Gonsevsky, spoke on behalf of the boyars with the Polish ambassador Zholkevsky. The Dumny clerk prepared the embassy of Trubetskoy, Saltykov and Yanov, which went to Poland in September 1611. On the way to Lithuania, the ambassadors met the army of Hetman Karl Khodkevich, who, bypassing all international norms, confiscated diplomatic documentation from them, read the order and returned the embassy to Moscow, saying that King Sigismund would be dissatisfied with the proposals of the Russian side. At Khodkevich's insistence, Ivan Gramotin, having arrived in the convoy of the hetman's army, wrote a new order for the ambassadors in the form in which the Poles demanded.

At the end of December 1611, Ivan Tarasevich himself went to the court of the Polish king. The purpose of his mission was to hasten the arrival in Russia and the accession of the Polish prince. Departing from besieged Moscow, Gramotin prepared embassy documentation for himself, sealed the letters with boyar seals and went to Poland without notifying the boyars. He probably took the boyar seals with him, since the order to the Russian ambassadors stated: "And the boyar seals after Ivan Gramotin were not found in the Ambassadorial order." However, not far from Moscow, the duma clerk was captured by the militias and robbed. After that, Ivan Tarasevich lived for some time with Hetman Khodkevich, and then wrote for himself a new letter from the boyars, with which he arrived at Sigismund III.

In November of the same year, he came to the capital with a Polish detachment, having received instructions from Sigismund III to persuade the Zemsky Sobor to elect Vladislav as king. Having failed, Gramotin returned to Poland and reported to the king that " the best people“They want to see the king’s son as king, but they don’t dare to speak openly about it, being afraid of the Cossacks. After that, Ivan Gramotin had to live in Poland for some time. Until September 1615, Ivan Tarasevich was called a traitor in official Russian documents, "the first leader of all evil and the destroyer of the Muscovite state." Nevertheless, Gramotin returned to Russia and was not only pardoned, but again took a high place in the Moscow administration.

2 May 1618 tsar "indicated the Svei embassy case to be in charge and in response to the boyars to be the clerk Ivan Gramotin, and in the answers the sovereign indicated to write to him in thought." The very next day, Ivan Gramotin was present at an audience with the Swedish ambassadors, during which he performed the functions that were traditionally within the competence of the embassy clerk. Having become the head of Russian diplomacy, Ivan Gramotin continued the work begun by his predecessor, the embassy clerk Pyotr Tretyakov, the restoration of the foreign policy relations of the Moscow state that had been disrupted during the Time of Troubles. The most important step in this direction was the conclusion of the Deulino truce, which ended the war with Poland. Gramotin took an active part in the preparation of the Deulino Treaty.

By the nature of his service, constantly communicating with foreigners, Gramotin perceived certain elements of European culture, as evidenced by the order for his own portrait - a phenomenon common in Europe, but still extremely rare in Russia. He was also engaged in literary activities - he wrote one of the editions of "The Tale of the Battle of Novgorodians with Suzdal". A feature of the Gramotin edition of the Tale ... is the author's sympathetic attitude towards the "autonomy" of the Novgorodians, who "choose their own" princes, and the condemnation of the Suzdal princes, whom Gramotin accuses of envy of the wealth of Novgorod.

The last time his name was mentioned in the order documentation was in December 1637. On September 23, 1638, Ivan Tarasevich Gramotin died without issue, having taken tonsure before his death under the name of Joel in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where he was buried. The Dutch merchant Isaac Massa described the duma clerk as follows: "looks like a German native, smart and reasonable in everything and learned a lot in captivity from the Poles and Prussians."

Ordin-Nashchokin, Afanasy Lavrentievich. Coming from a modest landowning family, Afanasy Lavrentievich was born at the beginning of the 17th century, approximately in 1605 or 1606.

Education Father Athanasius made sure that his son received knowledge in Latin, German and mathematics. Subsequently, Athanasius learned Polish and Moldavian. "From young nails" the young man was distinguished by curiosity and perseverance. Until the end of his days he loved books, these, in his words, "treasures that purify the soul"; I was familiar not only with ecclesiastical, but also secular writings, for example, on history and philosophy. To all this one should add keen observation, a craving for the perception of the new, the unknown, the desire to learn and implement the best that was available in the more advanced countries of the West. Some of his contemporaries said about him that he was "an intelligent person, knows the German business and knows German customs," but writes "subjunctively." Both friends and enemies paid tribute to his mind and statesmanship. He was, as they say, "a talker and a lively pen", he had a subtle, sharp mind. Ordin-Nashchokin's career began in 1642, when he participated in the delimitation of the new Russian-Swedish border after the Peace of Stolbov.

diplomatic missions. In 1656, Ordin-Nashchokin signed an alliance treaty with Courland, and in 1658, a truce with Sweden, which was essential for Russia. For this, Alexei Mikhailovich honored him with the rank of duma nobleman. Having achieved in 1667 the signing of the Andrusovsky truce with Poland, which was beneficial for Russia, he received the rank of boyar and became the head of the Ambassadorial order, replacing his predecessor, the Dumny clerk, printer, Almaz Ivanov. A city nobleman by fatherland and origin, after the conclusion of the aforementioned truce, he was granted a boyar and appointed chief steward of the Ambassadorial Order with the loud title of “the royal great seal and the state’s great embassy affairs of the saver”, that is, he became state chancellor.

He proposed to expand economic and cultural ties with the countries of Western Europe and the East, to conclude an alliance with Poland for a joint struggle with Sweden for possession of the Baltic Sea coast.

Late career Sharpness and directness in judgment brought him closer to disgrace. In 1671, as a result of denunciations and intrigues, he was removed from service in the Ambassadorial Department and returned to his homeland. But he turned out to be in demand as an expert on Polish affairs: in 1679 Fedor III Alekseevich sent for Ordin faithful people, ordering them to re-dress the former chancellor in a boyar dress and deliver to Moscow to participate in negotiations with the Polish ambassadors. Ordin felt tired and made no effort to re-establish himself in the capital. His advice regarding the Poles was considered obsolete, Ordin himself was removed from the negotiations and returned to Pskov. There he took the vows under the name of Anthony in the Krypetsky Monastery and a year later - in 1680 - died (at the age of 74).

Golitsyn, Vasily Vasilievich. The second son of the boyar Prince Vasily Andreevich Golitsyn (d. 1652) and Princess Tatyana Ivanovna Romodanovskaya. During the reign of Feodor Alekseevich (1676-82) he held key positions in the state. He was elevated to the rank of boyar and was in charge of the Pushkar and Vladimir court orders.

During the reign of Princess Sofya Alekseevna, he headed the Ambassadorial Order from 1682. At that time, the foreign policy situation for Russia was very difficult - tense relations with the Commonwealth, preparation Ottoman Empire, despite the Bakhchisaray peace treaty of 1681, to the war with the Russian kingdom, the invasion Crimean Tatars in May - June 1682 to the Russian lands.

He embarked on an active foreign policy, sending an emergency embassy to Constantinople in order to persuade Porto to an alliance with the Russian kingdom in case of war with Poland. Another Russian embassy - in Warsaw - worked to increase the contradictions between Poles and Turks. The result was the refusal of Poland and Turkey from direct action against Moscow.

He proceeded from the idea that the main task of Russian foreign policy was the strengthening of Russian-Polish relations, which led to a temporary abandonment of the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea. In 1683, he confirmed the Treaty of Cardis between Russia and Sweden. In 1683, he initiated Russia's refusal of the proposal of the Vienna embassy to conclude an imperial-Russian union treaty without the participation of Poland.

Long and difficult negotiations between Russia and Poland ended in 1686 with the signing of the "Eternal Peace", according to which Russia was to declare war on Turkey. Under pressure from the Polish side, which threatened to break off relations with Russia, in 1687 and 1689 he organized two large campaigns (Crimean campaigns) to Perekop against the Crimean Khanate. These campaigns, which led to significant non-combat losses, did not turn into military clashes, but provided indirect assistance to Russia's allies, preventing the Tatars from speaking out against them.

After Peter I overthrew Sophia in 1689 and became the de facto sovereign sovereign, Golitsyn was deprived of the boyars, but not of princely dignity, and exiled with his family in 1690 to the Yerensky town. In 1691, it was decided to send the Golitsyns to the Pustozersky jail. Departing from Arkhangelsk on ships, the Golitsyns spent the winter on the Mezen in the Kuznetsk Sloboda, where they met the family of Archpriest Avvakum. In the spring of 1692, a new decree was received: “They did not order them to be sent to the Pustozersky prison, but ordered them to be in Kevrol before their great sovereigns” (on Pinega). The last place of exile of the Golitsyns was Pinezhsky Volok, where Vasily Vasilyevich died in 1714. Prince Golitsyn was buried according to his will in the neighboring Krasnogorsk monastery.

In parallel, at that time, a system of ranking diplomats began to take shape in the Ambassadorial Order, that is, assigning them a certain diplomatic rank. In particular, Russian diplomatic representatives in those years were divided into three categories:

great ambassadors - an analogue of the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador; light ambassadors - an analogue of the extraordinary and plenipotentiary envoy; envoys are an analogue of the plenipotentiary envoy.

Moreover, the category of a diplomatic representative was determined by the importance of the state to which the Russian embassy was sent, as well as the importance of the mission entrusted to him. Grand ambassadors were sent, as a rule, only to Poland and Sweden. It was customary to appoint envoys to distant countries. In addition, there were persons in the diplomatic service who had the ranks of sent (envoy with a one-time assignment), as well as envoy (fast courier) and messenger (courier with an emergency assignment). The functions of the latter included only the delivery of letters, they were not allowed to enter into any diplomatic negotiations. A high place in the Ambassadorial Prikaz was occupied by the translation department. The translators who worked in it carried out oral translations, and translators performed written translations. Employees of the translation department were most often recruited from among foreigners who entered the Russian service, or from Russians who had been in foreign captivity. Information has been preserved that at the end of the 17th century. 15 translators and 50 interpreters working in the translation department translated from such languages as Latin, Italian, Polish, Volosh, English, German, Swedish, Dutch, Greek, Tatar, Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Georgian.

In order to study foreign languages and acquire the skills of diplomatic etiquette, as well as to communicate with foreigners, the Russian state in those years practiced sending people from boyar families abroad to study. Upon returning to Moscow, they, as a rule, came to work in the Posolsky Prikaz. It is noteworthy that the uniform and style of clothing of Russian diplomats and diplomatic employees of that time corresponded to the standards then accepted in Europe.

IN practical work The Ambassadorial Order used a wide range of diplomatic documents, many of which are being prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to this day. In particular, the Posolsky Prikaz issued "believers" (credentials) - documents certifying the representative character of diplomats and accrediting them in this capacity in a foreign state. Dangerous letters were prepared, the purpose of which was to ensure free entry and exit from the country of the embassy going abroad. Letters of return were used - documents handed over to foreign ambassadors upon their departure from the host country. As a tool for managing the activities of embassies, the Posolsky Prikaz used such a document as a mandate. It explained article by article the status, goals and objectives of the embassy, determined the nature of the information that should be collected, gave possible answers to questions that might arise, and also contained draft speeches that the head of the embassy should have delivered. The results of the work of the embassy were summed up by writing an embassy report containing the so-called article lists, in which the situation was comprehensively analyzed and the results of the work done by the embassy on each of the articles of the mandate were reported.

A special place in Russian diplomacy has always belonged to archives. From the beginning of the XVI century. The Ambassadorial Order established the practice of regular systematization of all diplomatic documents. The most common form of recording and storing diplomatic information for a long time was the maintenance of columns and the compilation of embassy books. The columns are strips of paper sealed with the signature of an official and glued one to the other vertically, containing diplomatic documents. Embassy books are embassy documents rewritten by hand in special notebooks. In fact, they were dossiers on specific issues. At the same time, all documents were strictly systematized by years, countries and regions. They were stored in special velvet-lined, metal-wrapped oak boxes, aspen boxes or canvas bags. Thus, the Posolsky Prikaz had a well-thought-out, well-established and quite effective system for storing, recording and classifying all diplomatic information, which made it possible not only to save, but also to use the available documents as needed.

Peter I Alekseevich, nicknamed Great(May 30, 1672 -- January 28, 1725) -- last king of all Rus' (since 1682) and the first Emperor All-Russian(since 1721).

As a representative of the Romanov dynasty, Peter was proclaimed king at the age of 10, began to rule independently from 1689. The formal co-ruler of Peter was his brother Ivan (until his death in 1696).

From a young age, showing interest in the sciences and a foreign way of life, Peter was the first of the Russian tsars to make a long journey to the countries of Western Europe. Upon returning from it, in 1698, Peter launched large-scale reforms of the Russian state and social order. One of the main achievements of Peter was the solution of the task set in the 16th century: the expansion of Russian territories in the Baltic region after the victory in the Great Northern War, which allowed him to take the title of Russian emperor in 1721. diplomatic Russian Soviet

A qualitatively new stage in the development of the Russian diplomatic service is associated with the era of Emperor Peter I. Only with his coming to power and carrying out fundamental changes in the entire system of public administration in Russia is the understanding of diplomacy as a system of relations between sovereign states based on the mutual exchange of permanent diplomatic representatives, embodying the sovereignty of their ruler. Peter I radically reformed all state power in the country, subordinated the Church to the state Synod, and transformed the state service. Naturally, he also subjected the Russian Diplomatic Service to a thorough restructuring, transferring it to the principles of the concept of the diplomatic system that prevailed in Europe at that time. All this allowed Peter I to include Russia in the pan-European system of diplomatic relations, to turn our state into an active and very important factor in European balance.

The radical reforms implemented by Peter I were based on the following innovations:

the cumbersome administrative state apparatus was replaced by a more compact and efficient administration;

2) The Boyar Duma was replaced by the administrative Senate;

the class principle of formation of the central government was abolished, the principle of professional suitability began to operate. The "Table of Ranks" was introduced into practice, which determined the status and career advancement of government officials;

4) the transition to the European system of diplomatic servants was carried out, plenipotentiary and extraordinary ambassadors, extraordinary envoys, ministers, residents, agents appeared;
5) the practice of mandatory mutual informing by Russian missions abroad of the most important military and political events, negotiations and agreements has been introduced.

In 1717, the Ambassadorial field office was transformed into the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. However, the reorganization process itself took several years, and therefore the final organizational design of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs of Russia took place only in February 1720. special instructions. The signing of these two documents completed the process of organizing the Collegium of Foreign Affairs.

The “Definition of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs” (i.e., regulation) was the fundamental document on the basis of which all the work of the Collegium was based. It regulated issues related to the selection of personnel for the diplomatic service, determined the structure of the foreign ministry, clarified the functions and competence of officials working in the Collegium.

The members of the Board were appointed by the Senate. In addition to the attendants, 142 people worked in the central office of the Collegium. At the same time, 78 people worked abroad, who held the positions of ambassadors, ministers, agents, consuls, secretaries, copyists, translators, and students. There were also priests among them. The ranks of the servants of the College were assigned by the Senate. All officials took an oath of allegiance to the Tsar and the Fatherland.

The Collegium of Foreign Affairs of Russia consisted of two main divisions: the Presence and the Chancellery. The Presence was the supreme body, it was they who made the final decisions on all the most important issues. It consisted of eight members of the Board, headed by the president and his deputy, and gathered for its meetings at least four times a week. As for the Chancellery, it was an executive body and consisted of two departments, called expeditions: a secret expedition, which directly dealt with foreign policy issues, and a public expedition, which was in charge of administrative, financial, economic and postal affairs. At the same time, the secret expedition, in turn, was divided into four smaller expeditions. The first of them was in charge of receiving and recalling foreign diplomats who came to Russia, sending Russian diplomats abroad, maintaining diplomatic correspondence, office work, and drafting protocols. The second expedition was in charge of all the cases and materials in Western languages, the third - in Polish, and the fourth (or "Oriental") - in Eastern languages. At the head of each expedition was a secretary.

Presidents of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs in different years were prominent Russian diplomats. Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin became the first president of the College, later he was replaced in this post by Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky, Count Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, Prince Alexander Andreevich Bezborodko and a whole galaxy of others distinguished diplomats Russia.

Golovkin, Count Gavriil Ivanovich - statesman(1660 - 1734), chancellor and senator, relative of Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna; from 1676 he was under Tsarevich Peter the steward, and later the supreme bed-keeper. Under Princess Sophia, he showed special devotion to Peter, whom he accompanied during the flight from the plan of the archers to the Trinity Lavra (in 1689), and since then enjoyed the constant trust of Peter. He accompanied the king on his first trip to foreign lands and worked with him at the shipyards in Saardam. In 1709, on the Poltava field, the tsar congratulated Golovkin, who had been at the head of the embassy department since 1706, as state chancellor. In this rank, Golovkin took an intimate part in relations with foreign powers, accompanied the tsar on his travels and campaigns, among other things, in Prut. Upon the establishment of the collegiums (1717), Golovkin was appointed president of the collegium of foreign affairs. Under Catherine I, Golovkin was appointed (1726) a member of the Supreme Privy Council. The Empress gave him her spiritual testament for preservation, by which she appointed Peter II as the successor to the throne, and he was one of the guardians of the infant emperor. Upon the death of Peter II, Golovkin handed over to the fire this state act, which, in the event of the childless death of the young emperor, secured the throne for the further descendants of Peter I, and spoke in favor of Anna Ioannovna. The personal enemy of the princes Dolgoruky, Golovkin acted against the plans of the leaders. Under Anna Ioannovna, he was appointed to be present in the Senate, and in 1731 a member of the cabinet of ministers. Count of the Roman Empire since 1707, Golovkin in 1710 received the dignity of a Russian count. A skilled courtier who managed to maintain his importance through four reigns, Golovkin owned the whole Kamenny Island in St. Petersburg, many houses and estates, but was reportedly extremely stingy.

Cherkassky Alexey Mikhailovich(1680-1742) - statesman, prince. Since 1714, he was a member of the Commission for Urban Buildings in St. Petersburg, and then Chief Commissar of St. Petersburg (1715-1719). In 1719-1724 he was the governor of Siberia. From 1726 he was a senator and privy councillor.

Under Peter I, upon his return from Siberia, Cherkassky was appointed head of the city office and chief commissar of St. Petersburg, in charge of construction issues in new capital Russia. The tsar then appoints him governor of Siberia. Under Catherine I, Alexei Mikhailovich was a member of the Senate. Under Anna Ioannovna, Alexei Mikhailovich, among the three highest dignitaries, was a member of the Cabinet of Ministers under the Empress, and in 1741 he received the post of Grand Chancellor of Russia, who was in charge of the entire international policy of the country and relations with foreign states. During the reign of Anna Ioannovna Cherkassky was awarded the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. Alexander Nevsky.

In the position of great chancellor, Cherkassky remained under the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of the great Peter I, who came to power in November 1741.

It was at that time that the French ambassador to Russia, Chétardy, leaving for his homeland, gave advice to his successor "to stick to Cherkassky, who is impeccably honest and reasonable ... and, moreover, enjoying the trust of the Empress."

Grand Chancellor Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky died in November 1742. He was buried in Moscow, in the Novospassky Monastery.

Imperial order Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called-- the first Russian order in time of establishment, the highest award Russian Empire until 1917. In 1998, the order was restored as the highest award of the Russian Federation.

Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky - state award Russian Empire from 1725 to 1917.

Established by Catherine I and became the third Russian order after the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and the Women's Order of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was conceived by Peter I to reward military merit.

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin(1693-1766) - the son of the Privy Councilor, chamberlain and favorite of Anna Ioannovna Pyotr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin and Evdokia Ivanovna Talyzina. Born in Moscow. Received a good education at the academy in Copenhagen, and then in Berlin, showing great aptitude for languages. At the age of 19, he was appointed a nobleman at the embassy of Prince B. I. Kurakin at a congress in Utrecht; then, while in Hanover, he managed to get the rank of chamber junker at the Hanoverian court. With the permission of Peter I, from 1713 to 1717 he was in the service in Hanover, and then in Great Britain and came to St. Petersburg with the news of the accession to the English throne of George I.

In 1717, Bestuzhev-Ryumin returned to Russian service and was appointed chief junker to the Dowager Duchess of Courland, and then held the post of resident in Copenhagen from 1721 to 1730; in Hamburg from 1731 to 1734 and again in Copenhagen until 1740.

Being all these years in the diplomatic service, Alexei Petrovich received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and the rank of Privy Councilor. In 1740, under the patronage of Duke Biron, he was given the rank of real Privy Councilor, and then he was appointed cabinet minister in opposition to Count Osterman. Bestuzhev-Ryumin assisted Biron in appointing him regent under the young emperor John Antonovich, but with the fall of the duke, he himself lost his high position. He was imprisoned in the Shlisselburg Fortress, and then sentenced by the court to be quartered, replaced due to lack of evidence of the charges and strong patrons, exile to the village. At the end of the same year, he was summoned by Count Golovkin and Prince Trubetskoy to St. Petersburg, having managed to take part in the coup on November 25, 1741 in favor of Elizabeth Petrovna. 5 days after her accession, the Empress granted Alexei Petrovich the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and then - the title of senator, the post of director of the postal department and vice-chancellor.

On April 25, 1742, Alexei Petrovich's father was elevated to the dignity of a count of the Russian Empire; and thus he became a count. In 1744, the Empress appointed him State Chancellor, and on July 2, 1745, Holy Roman Emperor Franz I awarded Bestuzhev the title of count, the chancellor became a count of two empires.

Since 1756, Bestuzhev-Ryumin was a member of the Conference at the highest court created on his initiative and had the opportunity to influence the actions of the Russian army, which participated in this period in the Seven Years' War. Leading the foreign policy of the Russian Empire, he focused on an alliance with Great Britain, Holland, Austria and Saxony against Prussia, France and Turkey. Explaining his political course to the empress, he invariably cited Peter I as an example and said: "This is not my policy, but the policy of your great father."

The change in the foreign policy situation that led to the alliance of Great Britain with Prussia and the rapprochement between Russia and France during the Seven Years' War, as well as the participation of Bestuzhev-Ryumin in palace intrigues in which: grand duchess Catherine and Field Marshal Apraksin, led to the resignation of the Chancellor. On February 27, 1758, he was stripped of his ranks and insignia and put on trial; after a long investigation, Alexei Petrovich was sentenced to death, which the empress replaced with exile in the village. The manifesto about the crimes of the former chancellor said that "he was ordered to live in the village under guard, so that others would be protected from catching the vile tricks of the villain who had grown old in them." Bestuzhev was exiled to his Mozhaisk village of Goretovo.

Pet III had a negative attitude towards the disgraced nobleman and, having returned other exiled dignitaries of the former reign, he was left in exile. Catherine II, who overthrew her wife and took the throne, returned Bestuzhev from exile and restored his honor and dignity with a special manifesto. It said:

"Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin clearly revealed to us by what deceit and forgery of unfriendly people he was brought to this misfortune ...<...>... For a Christian and royal duty, we accepted: to show him, Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin, publicly more than before, worthy of our late aunt, his former sovereign, power of attorney and our special favor to him, as if with our manifesto we are fulfilling returning him with the former seniority of the rank of general field marshal, real privy councilor, senator and both Russian orders of the cavalier with a pension of 20,000 rubles a year.

Having received the rank of field marshal, Bestuzhev nevertheless did not regain the title of chancellor, which he had counted on. At the beginning of the new reign, he was among the closest advisers to Catherine II, but he no longer played an active role in politics. Catherine occasionally turned to Bestuzhev for advice:

"Father Alexei Petrovich, I ask you to consider the attached papers and write down your opinion."

Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin was married to Anna Ivanovna Bettiher and had a son and a daughter.

It must be said that, in 1726, Empress Catherine I, having come to power, established a Privy Council, consisting of people devoted to her. The heads of the foreign and military collegiums were included in its composition. The Privy Council began to play a decisive role in the development and implementation of Russia's foreign policy. At the same time, the sphere of activity of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs was narrowed, and, in fact, it turned into an executive office under the Privy Council. This process was a reflection of the inherent desire of that time not only Russian empress, but also many monarchs, including European ones, to strengthen their personal power.

Empress Catherine I. Empress of All Russia from 1725 to 1727. Peter the Great met her in 1705 and never parted with her again. Peter and Catherine had two daughters - Anna and Elizabeth. In 1711 she accompanied the sovereign in the Prut campaign and with her advice rendered an invaluable service to Peter and Russia. The marriage between them was concluded in 1712, then Peter legalized both daughters.

After the death of the sovereign, the reins of government were transferred to his wife, who became Empress Catherine I. Accession to the throne did not happen without the active help of Menshikov, who organized the Supreme Privy Council, which exercised the real control of the country. Menshikov himself became the head of this executive body. To some extent, this was a forced measure, since the empress did not have the knowledge and skills of a statesman.

In addition to rampant entertainment 16-month reign period

Catherine I was remembered for the opening of the Academy of Sciences, the dispatch of the Vitus Bering expedition and the establishment of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In addition, during this time, the country practically did not fight with its neighbors, while conducting active diplomatic activities.

It was during her reign that the Treaty of Vienna was concluded with Austria, which became the basis for the military-political alliance of the two countries until the second half of XVIII century.

Menshikov Alexander Danilovich(1673-1729), military leader and politician. The son of a court groom, Menshikov was enlisted as a bombardier in the Preobrazheisky regiment, created Peter and was the subject of his constant concern. submitted Lefort to the tsar, he quickly becomes his favorite. In 1703, after fighting with the Swedes, Menshikov was appointed governor of the newly conquered territories at the mouth of the Neva, and he was entrusted with overseeing the construction of St. Petersburg.

In the rank of cavalry general, he conducts a number of military operations in Poland, and in 1708 defeats the Swedes and Mazepa's Cossacks. In 1717 he received the post of President of the Military College. Accused of bribery, he briefly fell out of favor in 1723.

After the death of Peter the Great, Menshikov, in alliance with Peter Tolstoy, uses his influence to enthrone Catherine and gains enormous power. Knowing about the hostile attitude of the Senate towards him, he seeks from the empress the creation of the Supreme Privy Council, which takes away from the Senate a significant part of its powers and in which it is destined for the main role. In June 1726, he puts forward his candidacy for the Courland throne, but the Seim elects Moritz of Saxony, despite military pressure from Russia. With accession Peter II in May 1727, Menshikov's star (whose daughter Maria becomes the tsar's bride) reaches its climax, but Menshikov's imperious manners soon begin to weigh on Peter II, and under pressure from the old nobility, who hardly tolerated this upstart, in September 1727 he orders his arrest . Having stripped all his titles and taken away all his property, Menshikov is exiled to Siberia, to Berezov, where he dies.

But back to the history of diplomacy. By decree of Catherine II, a gradation of Russian diplomatic missions was introduced. In particular, the title of ambassador was awarded only to the Russian diplomatic representative in Warsaw. Most of the heads of other Russian diplomatic missions abroad were then called ministers of the second rank. Some representatives were called Resident Ministers. Ministers of the second rank and resident ministers performed representative and political functions. The consuls general were also equated with ministers, who monitored the observance of the interests of Russian merchants and the development of trade relations. Ambassadors, ministers and consuls general were appointed specially trained people - representatives of the ruling class, who received the necessary knowledge in the field of foreign relations and had the proper professional skills.

End of XVIII -- early XIX V. characterized by the spread in Europe of a new, so-called Napoleonic, model of public administration. She was characterized by military organization, suggesting a high degree centralization, unity of command, strict discipline, a high degree of personal responsibility. Napoleonic reforms also had an impact on Russia. The principle of unity of command has become the leading principle of service relations. The administrative reform was expressed in the transition from the system of colleges to the system of ministries. On September 8, 1802, Emperor Alexander I issued a Manifesto on the establishment of ministerial positions. All collegiums, including the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, were assigned to individual ministers, and corresponding offices were established under them, which were essentially ministerial offices. Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia as such was formed in 1802. Count Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov (1741-1805) became the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire.

Count Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov (1741-1805). Vorontsov Alexander Romanovich (September 15, 1741-December 4, 1805), count (1760), statesman, diplomat.

He was raised in his uncle's house. He began his service at the age of 15 in the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment. He studied in France at the Versailles Reiter School, lived in Italy, Spain and Portugal. He was familiar with the figures of the French Enlightenment, incl. with Voltaire, a number of whose works he translated into Russian.

From 1761, Charge d'Affaires of Russia in Vienna, in 1762-1764 minister plenipotentiary in London, in 1764-1768 - in The Hague. From 1773 President of the College of Commerce, member of the Commission on Commerce, from 1779 Senator, from 1794 retired.

Distinguished by an independent character, he condemned the luxury of the Imperial Court, sought to reduce the import of expensive fabrics, wines, etc. Maintained contacts with many figures of Russian culture and science. Influenced the formation of views

Alexander Nikolayevich Radishchev, with whom he was a member of Masonic Lodge"Urania" (1774-1775). Their attitude to autocracy and serfdom coincided in many respects. He provided assistance to Radishchev and his family when he was in exile.

Being interested in Russian history, in particular pre-Petrine, he collected a large library of Russian and foreign books, kept historical documents, manuscripts, including Russian historical writings.

Vorontsov's political ideal was the reforms of Peter I, which was reflected in his note to Emperor Alexander I (1801). According to Derzhavin,

Vorontsov was one of the inspirers of the "young friends" of the emperor. Returning to the service (1801), Vorontsov became a member of the Permanent Council, and then (1802-1804) State Chancellor.

He led a policy of rapprochement between Russia and Great Britain and Austria, contributed to the severance of relations with Napoleon I.

Under Alexander I, the staff of the Russian diplomatic service was strengthened; directed Russian ambassadors to Vienna and Stockholm, envoys have been appointed to Berlin, London, Copenhagen, Munich, Lisbon, Naples, Turin and Constantinople; the level of diplomatic representatives was raised to chargé d'affaires in Dresden and Hamburg, to consuls general in Danzig and Venice.

The administrative reform of that time was completed by the document “The General Establishment of Ministries” developed in 1811. In accordance with it, unity of command was finally fixed as the main organizational principle of the ministry's activities. In addition, there was uniformity organizational structure, records management and reporting of the ministry; strict subordination of all departments of the ministry along the vertical was established; the appointment of the minister and his deputy was made by the monarch himself. The Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time (1808-1814) was

RUMYANTSEV Nikolai Petrovich (1754--1826) - count, Russian statesman, diplomat, chancellor (1809), collector and philanthropist, cultural figure, honorary member of the Russian Academy (1819).

Enlisted for military service in 1762. In the diplomatic service since 1781. In 1782-1795. -- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the German Confederation in Frankfurt am Main under the Diet of the "Holy Roman Empire"; represented Russia at the court of the Count of Provence, the brother of King Louis XVI, who was executed on January 21, 1793, the future King of France, Louis XVIII of Bourbon. In 1798, Paul I was dismissed from service with the order to "leave for foreign lands."

In 1801 he was returned to the service by Alexander I and appointed a member of the Permanent Council. In 1802-1810. -- Minister of Commerce (with retention in their positions and titles). In 1807-1814. - Managed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; in 1810-1812 -- prev. Council of State and Committee of Ministers.

After the conclusion of the Tilsit treaties, he was a supporter of strengthening the Russian-French alliance. Participated in the negotiations between Alexander I and Napoleon I in Erfurt (see the Erfurt Union Convention of 1808). On behalf of Russia, he signed the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty of 1809 with Sweden and an alliance treaty with Spain (1812).

Due to the aggravation of Russian-French relations on the eve of the Patriotic War of 1812, he noticeably lost his political influence. Dismissed due to illness. Council of State and Committee of Ministers. In 1814 he was completely dismissed from service.

He gained great fame as a collector of books and manuscripts that laid the foundation for the library of the Rumyantsev Museum (now the Russian State Library). He founded the "Commission for printing state letters and treaties", financed a number of archeographic expeditions and documentary publications.

It is clear that with such a system of administration, the role of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs objectively began to decline.

In 1832, by personal decree of Emperor Nicholas I "On the formation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", the Collegium was officially abolished and turned into a structural unit of the foreign policy department of the Russian Empire.

According to this decree, all employees entering the service in the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were enrolled only by the highest decree of the emperor. They obligatorily signed a non-disclosure of secrets of foreign affairs and observance of the requirement "not to go to the courtyards of foreign ministers and have no treatment or company with them." A diplomat who violated the established order was threatened not only with dismissal, but also with "recovery to the fullest extent of the law."

In the second half of the XIX century. transformations in the system of higher and central authorities in Russia were continued. Naturally, innovations could not bypass the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which from 1856 to 1882 was headed by one of the most prominent Russian diplomats and statesmen of that time, His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (1798-1883).

In the process of reform, he achieved the release of the Ministry from a number of functions unusual for it, including censorship of political publications, management of the outskirts of the Russian Empire, and conduct of ceremonial affairs. Under the leadership of A. M. Gorchakov, who soon also became chancellor and simultaneously headed the government of the country along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia's role in international affairs increased, it sought to develop broad international ties in the political and economic spheres gained more and more international political weight.

Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (1798-1883). Russian diplomat and statesman, chancellor (1867).

came from ancient family Yaroslavl Rurik princes, studied at the Lyceum together with A.S. Pushkin , He served all his life in the diplomatic department, was extremely educated, knew several languages. Since April 1856 Minister of Foreign Affairs. Dramatically changed the foreign policy of Russia from "noble internationalism" to the protection of purely national interests weakened after the defeat in Crimean War powers. Gorchakov's motto at the beginning of his activity - "Russia is concentrating" - became an unshakable principle of his policy. Through ingenious combinations, diplomatic skill, perseverance, he managed to achieve the main goal - to achieve the abolition of dangerous and humiliating prohibitions for the country to have a navy on the Black Sea (1870). Realizing the danger in creating an aggressive German Empire, correctly identified the counterweight - an alliance with France. He carried out a reform of the diplomatic service, which was fully preserved until 1917, and in fact, is preserved to this day.

The solution of foreign policy tasks set by Chancellor A. M. Gorchakov required a significant expansion of the network of Russian diplomatic missions abroad. By the beginning of the 90s. 19th century functioned abroad. Already 6 embassies, 26 missions, 25 consulates general, 86 consulates and vice-consulates of the Russian Empire. Under A. M. Gorchakov, the main tasks facing the Russian Foreign Ministry and its structures were defined as follows:

maintaining political relations with foreign states;

patronage in foreign lands of Russian trade and Russian interests in general;

Petition for the legal protection of Russian citizens in their cases abroad;

assistance in meeting the legal requirements of foreigners in their cases in Russia;

Publication of the "Yearbook of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", which published the most important documents of current policy, such as conventions, notes, protocols, etc.

Under A. M. Gorchakov, other important transformations were made in the Russian diplomatic service. In particular, Russia finally refused to appoint foreigners to posts in its diplomatic missions abroad. All diplomatic correspondence was translated exclusively into Russian. The criteria for selecting persons entering the diplomatic service have been significantly increased. Thus, since 1859, Russia has introduced a requirement that all those hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have a diploma of higher education in the humanities, as well as knowledge of two foreign languages. In addition, the applicant for the diplomatic service had to demonstrate broad knowledge in the field of history, geography, political economy, and international law. Under the Ministry, a special Oriental School was formed, which trained specialists in oriental languages, as well as rare European languages

The next reform of the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was prepared in 1910 by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky (1856-1919). According to it, a comprehensive modernization of the entire apparatus of the Ministry was envisaged and the creation in it of a single political department, a press bureau, a legal department and information service. A system of mandatory rotation of officials of the central apparatus, foreign diplomatic and consular institutions was introduced; it was planned to equalize the conditions of service and pay for diplomats who served in the central office of the Ministry and in its representative offices abroad. The practice included the systematic distribution of copies of the most important diplomatic documents to all foreign countries. representative offices of Russia, which allowed their leaders to keep abreast of ongoing foreign policy events and efforts undertaken by the Russian diplomatic service. The Ministry began to actively work with the press, using it to create a favorable public opinion about Russia and the activities of its diplomatic service. The Ministry has become the main source of foreign policy information for most Russian newspapers: The Press Bureau of the Ministry held regular meetings with representatives of the largest newspapers of the empire.

A serious innovation of A.P. Izvolsky was a special complicated competitive exam for those wishing to apply for the diplomatic service. The qualification examination was conducted by a special "meeting", which included all directors of departments and heads of departments of the Ministry; the issue of accepting a candidate for the diplomatic service was decided collectively.

Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky (1856--1919) - Russian statesman, diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia in 1906-1910

Born in the family of an official. In 1875 he graduated from the Alexander Lyceum. He entered the service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, worked in the Chancellery of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then in the Balkans under the command of the Ambassador to Turkey, Prince A. B. Lobanov-Rostovsky.

Since 1882 - the first secretary of the Russian mission in Romania, then in the same position in Washington. Resident minister in the Vatican 1894-1897, envoy in Belgrade 1897, Munich 1897-1899, Tokyo 1899-1903 and Copenhagen 1903-1906

In 1906-1910 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, enjoyed the personal support of Nicholas II. Unlike his predecessor as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Lamsdorf, Izvolsky was well aware of the significant shortcomings in the work of the department entrusted to him and saw the need for serious changes. Almost immediately after joining the ministry, he created a special commission whose task was to prepare a draft reform. This commission was headed ex officio by Deputy Minister - for the first two years, Konstantin Gubastov, then for another year and a half, Nikolai Charykov, who enjoyed the special confidence of Izvolsky, and finally, Sergei Sazonov. Izvolsky failed to bring the work on the reform project to completion. In the field of foreign policy, Izvolsky belonged to the French orientation and pushed Russia towards an alliance with England.

With his participation were concluded: the Russian-English agreement of 1907 and the Russian-Japanese agreement of 1907, the Austro-Russian agreement in Buchlau in 1908 and the Russian-Italian agreement of 1909 in Racconigi. Of particular note are the secret negotiations between Izvolsky and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary Erenthal in the castle of Buchlau (September 15, 1908). Being essentially a personal initiative of Izvolsky, these negotiations were conducted in secret and, apart from Comrade Minister Nikolai Charykov, no one had any idea about their essence. Even Nicholas II found out about the results and terms of the agreement only after the conclusion of the agreement. The results were disastrous for Russia, they led to the international and domestic Russian "Buchlau scandal" and the Bosnian crisis of 1908-1909, which almost ended in another Balkan war.

Despite the personal support of Nicholas II, "the heavy defeat of the policy of Mr. Izvolsky" (in the words of P. N. Milyukov) led to the gradual replacement of all the leaders of the ministry. Already in May 1909, a close confidant and fellow minister, Nikolai Charykov, was appointed ambassador to Constantinople, and Sergey Sazonov, a relative of Stolypin and a person exceptionally close to him, took his place. A year and a half later, Sazonov completely replaced Izvolsky as minister.

After his resignation from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, in 1910 Izvolsky was ambassador to Paris (until 1917).

He played a prominent role in the consolidation of the Entente and the preparation of the 1st World War 1914-1918. In May 1917 he retired and subsequently, while in France, supported the military intervention against Soviet Russia.

The First World War, which began in 1914, radically changed the nature of the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the conditions of Russia's entry into the war, the main task of the Ministry was to ensure a foreign policy environment favorable for the successful conduct of hostilities by Russian troops, as well as work on the preparation of the terms of a future peace treaty. When Betting Supreme Commander The Diplomatic Office was created, the functions of which included regularly informing Emperor Nicholas II on all the most important issues of foreign policy and maintaining constant communication between the monarch and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the war, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which in those years was headed by Sergei Dmitrievich Sazonov (1860--1927), found itself in a situation where he had to directly participate in making not only foreign policy, but also domestic policy decisions.

The beginning of the war coincided with the implementation of another reform of the central apparatus in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was based on the law “On the Establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” issued in June 1914 by Emperor Nicholas II. According to this law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the new conditions was to pay special attention in its activities to the solution of the following tasks:

1) protection of Russian economic interests abroad;
2) the development of commercial and industrial relations in Russia;
3) strengthening Russian influence on the basis of church interests;
4) comprehensive observation of the phenomena of political and public life in foreign states.

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