List of ambassadors of Russia to Latvia

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Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Latvia
Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Incumbent
vacant
since 31 March 2023
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Embassy of Russia in Riga
StyleHis Excellency
The Honourable
Reports toMinister of Foreign Affairs
SeatRiga
AppointerPresident of Russia
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
WebsiteEmbassy of Russia in Latvia

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Latvia is the official representative of the President and the Government of the Russian Federation to the President and the Government of Latvia.

Before the downgrade of diplomatic relations between Russia and Latvia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ambassador and his staff used to work at large in the Embassy of Russia in Riga.[1] There were consulates general in Daugavpils and Liepāja.[2][3]

In 2022, the Latvian government closed the two Russian consulates[4] and in 2023 the Russian ambassador to Latvia was expelled.[5]

History of diplomatic relations

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Main article: Latvia–Russia relations

The territory occupied by Latvia had been part of the Russian Empire since the eighteenth century. In the aftermath of the First World War and the collapse of the empire following the Russian Revolution in 1917, Latvia declared independence on 18 November 1918. Diplomatic relations were established between Latvia and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to Latvia on 11 August 1920, and Yakov Ganetsky was appointed the first Plenipotentiary representative on 31 August that year.[6] Representation continued until the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, after which Latvia was de facto part of the USSR for the remainder of the existence of the Soviet Union, with the exception of a period of occupation by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1944 during the Second World War. Soviet forces re-occupied Latvia in 1944, after which Latvia became a constituent part of the Soviet Union as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.[6]

As part of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Latvia's secession was recognized by the State Council of the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Diplomatic relations with Russia were established on 4 October 1991.[7]

Following growing diplomatic tensions in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Latvian government expelled the Russian ambassador to Latvia and downgraded diplomatic relations between the countries.[5]

List of representatives (1920 – present)

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Representatives of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to Latvia (1920 – 1923)

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Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Yakov Ganetsky Plenipotentiary representative 31 August 1920 7 December 1921
Konstantin Yurenev Plenipotentiary representative 1 February 1922 14 February 1923
Adam Semashko [ru] Chargé d'affaires 1923 1923
Semyon Aralov Plenipotentiary representative 28 May 1923 23 July 1923

Representatives of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to Latvia (1923 – 1940)

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Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Semyon Aralov Plenipotentiary representative 23 July 1923 21 March 1925
Kazimir Krzheminsky Chargé d'affaires 1924 1924
Aleksandr Gambarov [ru] Chargé d'affaires 1925 1925
Aleksey Chernykh [ru] Plenipotentiary representative 9 July 1925 24 February 1927
Sigizmund Borkusevich Chargé d'affaires 1926 1926
Ivan Lorents Plenipotentiary representative 24 February 1927 14 September 1929
Aleksey Svidersky [ru] Plenipotentiary representative 14 September 1929 10 May 1933
Stefan Bratman-Brodovsky [ru] Plenipotentiary representative 10 October 1933 25 October 1937
Ivan Zotov [ru] Plenipotentiary representative 1 November 1937 6 April 1940
Vladimir Derevyansky [ru] Plenipotentiary representative 7 April 1940 10 October 1940

Representatives of the Russian Federation to Latvia (1992 – present)

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Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Aleksandr Rannikh [ru] Ambassador 2 March 1992 25 November 1996
Aleksandr Udaltsov [ru] Ambassador 25 November 1996 13 February 2001
Igor Studennikov [ru] Ambassador 13 February 2001 1 September 2004
Viktor Kalyuzhny [ru] Ambassador 13 February 2001 11 January 2008
Alexander Veshnyakov[8][9] Ambassador 11 January 2008 15 December 2016
Yevgeny Lukyanov[10] Ambassador 15 December 2016 25 March 2021
Vadim Vasileyev Charge d'affaires 25 March 2021 28 September 2021
Mikhail Vanin Ambassador 28 September 2021 31 March 2023 declared persona non grata[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Посольство Российской Федерации в Латвийской Республике" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Генеральное консульство Российской Федерации в Даугавпилсе" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Генеральное консульство Российской Федерации в Лиепае (Латвия)" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Latvia and Estonia close Russian consulates, expel staff". Reuters. 5 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Estonia and Latvia remove Russian ambassadors as tensions rise". POLITICO. 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  6. ^ a b Полномочное представительство РСФСР - СССР в Латвии (in Russian). Справочник по истории Коммунистической партии и Советского Союза 1898 - 1991. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Российско-латвийские двусторонние отношения" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Latvia accepts former election chief as Russia's ambassador". Radio Free Europe Newsline. 11 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 January 2008.
  9. ^ Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 15.12.2016 № 673 "О Вешнякове А.А."
  10. ^ Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 15.12.2016 № 674 "О Чрезвычайном и Полномочном После Российской Федерации в Латвийской Республике"
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