The ambassador of Russia to Iceland is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of Iceland.
The representative and his staff work at large in the Russian embassy in Reykjavík. The post of Russian ambassador to Iceland is currently vacant, following the withdrawal of the last ambassador, , on 11 September 2023. Since then, representation has been by chargé d'affaires.
History of diplomatic relations
Formal diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Iceland and the Soviet Union date back to 1926. Iceland at this time was part of a personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark, and affairs were handled through the representatives in Denmark. A representative office was opened in Reykjavík in 1943, with 4 October 1943 being considered the official date of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The first representative, , was appointed on 9 December 1943. The personal union between Denmark and Iceland was dissolved after the 1944 Icelandic constitutional referendum, and the Soviet Union became one of the first states to recognize Icelandic independence. The mission was upgraded to an embassy in November 1955, and the exchange of ambassadors continued throughout the rest of the existence of the Soviet Union. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the incumbent Soviet ambassador, , continued in post as the Russian ambassador until 1992.
Diplomatic relations were reviewed by the Icelandic government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On 9 June 2023, they decided to close the embassy in Moscow and withdraw their ambassador to Russia. Russian diplomatic representation in Iceland was simultaneously downgraded to chargé d'affaires.
List of representatives of Russia to Iceland (1943–present) Soviet Union to Iceland (1943–1991) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesEnvoy9 December 19438 May 1946 Credentials presented on 19 March 1944Envoy8 May 1946 24 September 1948 Credentials presented on 30 October 1946Ivan KorchaginChargé d'affaires24 September 1948 Envoy before 31 December 1955Ambassador after 31 December 195527 January 195418 September 1958Credentials presented on 11 May 1954 (as envoy)Credentials presented on 29 February 1956 (as ambassador)Ambassador18 September 195827 December 1963Credentials presented on 14 October 1958Ambassador27 December 196329 August 1966Credentials presented on 12 February 1964Ambassador29 August 19664 July 1970Credentials presented on 28 October 1966Ambassador4 July 197021 June 1973Credentials presented on 14 September 1970Ambassador21 June 197314 March 1975Credentials presented on 23 August 1973Ambassador14 March 197516 July 1979Credentials presented on 25 March 1975Ambassador16 July 197912 July 1984Credentials presented on 2 August 1979 Ambassador12 July 198424 November 1986Credentials presented on 2 October 1984Ambassador24 November 198625 December 1991
Russian Federation to Iceland (1991–present) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesAmbassador25 December 19912 March 1992Ambassador18 March 19922 April 1998Ambassador2 April 199828 February 2002 Ambassador28 February 2002 15 December 2005Ambassador17 April 200618 January 2010Ambassador18 January 20106 March 2014 Ambassador6 March 2014 11 November 2020Credentials presented on 12 May 2014 Ambassador11 November 202011 September 2023Credentials presented on 30 December 2020Sergey AndriashinChargé d'affaires11 September 2023
References