The ambassador of Russia to Greece is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of Greece.
The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Russian embassy in Athens. There is a consulate-general in Thessaloniki, and honorary consuls in Alexandroupoli, Corfu, Heraklion, Lamia, Nafplio and Patras. The current Russian ambassador to Greece is , incumbent since 12 July 2014.
History of diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between the forerunners of the modern states of Greece and Russia date back to the early nineteenth century. The Russian Empire supported the Greek independence movement against the Ottoman Empire during the eighteenth century, with Catherine the Great's Greek Project and support for the Orlov revolt during the Russo-Turkish war. Early attempts to establish an independent Greek state ended in failure, until the Russian-backed Greek War of Independence in the 1820s resulted in the establishment of the First Hellenic Republic, through which the Russian Party-supporting Greek leaders enjoyed considerable power. The Russian empire established relations with the First Hellenic Republic on . The first mission was based in Nafplio from 1828, before moving to Athens in 1834 with the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece.
Relations between the two countries were maintained during the nineteenth and into the twentieth centuries, and after the February Revolution in 1917 overthrew the Russian monarchy and established the Russian Provisional Government. Relations were however broken off after the October Revolution brought the Bolshevik regime to power. Relations were restored between what was by then the Soviet Union and the Second Hellenic Republic on 8 March 1924, and was appointed the first plenipotentiary representative. Relations were maintained until the Axis occupation of Greece in June 1941. The Soviet Union joined the Allied side following the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union later in June, and established relations with the Greek government-in-exile in London as part of the . The Greek government moved to Cairo in 1943, and representation was transferred to the Soviet embassy in Cairo, with the Soviet ambassador to Egypt given dual accreditation to the Greek government. This lasted until the return of the Greek government to Greece after the war, and in 1945 was appointed the ambassador to Greece.
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Greece recognised the Russian Federation as its successor state on 27 December 1991.
List of representatives of Russia to Greece (1828–present) Russian Empire to Greece (1828–1917) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesMark BulgariSpecial representative2 July 1828 31 March 1829Viktor PaninChargé d'affaires31 March 18297 May 1831Chargé d'affaires27 December 1830 4 June 1833Gavriil KatakaziSpecial representative before 31 July 1833Envoy after 31 July 183313 December 1832 16 October 1843Chargé d'affaires11 November 1843 9 January 1857Envoy9 January 185725 October 1861Envoy25 October 186130 August 1865Envoy30 August 186529 May 1870Peter SaburovEnvoy29 May 187022 December 1879Envoy26 April 1880 16 June 1880Envoy16 June 18808 February 1884 Envoy9 February 1884 15 November 1889Envoy15 November 188920 May 1901Roman RosenEnvoy1 June 19011902Envoy12 November 1902 17 May 1910Envoy19101912Elim DemidovEnvoy19123 March 1917
Russian Provisional Government to Greece (1917) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesElim DemidovEnvoyMarch 191726 October 1917
Soviet Union to Greece (1924–1991) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesPlenipotentiary Representative7 May 1924 3 November 1929Credentials presented on 10 June 1924Vladimir PotemkinPlenipotentiary Representative3 November 192926 September 1932 Credentials presented on 18 November 1929 Yakov DavydovPlenipotentiary Representative27 September 1932 20 March 1934Credentials presented on 28 October 1932Mikhail KobetskyPlenipotentiary Representative28 April 1934 28 April 1937Credentials presented on 26 May 1934 Alexander BarmineChargé d'affaires193718 July 1937Nikolai SharonovPlenipotentiary Representative18 July 1937 31 May 1939Credentials presented on 20 October 1937 Chargé d'affaires19393 June 1941 Envoy before 14 April 1943Ambassador after 14 April 19433 September 1941 12 November 1943To the Greek government-in-exile in London as part of the Credentials presented on 21 October 1941Nikolai NovikovAmbassador12 November 1943 11 December 1945To the Greek government-in-exile in Cairo concurrently as ambassador to EgyptCredentials presented on 9 December 1943 Ambassador11 December 19455 September 1947Credentials presented on 3 January 1946 Ambassador23 July 1953 5 January 1962Credentials presented on 19 September 1953 Ambassador5 January 196231 May 1968Credentials presented on 8 March 1962Ambassador31 May 19681 March 1973 Credentials presented on 4 September 1968 Ambassador1 March 1973 12 March 1976Credentials presented on 14 May 1973 Ambassador12 March 197611 September 1979Credentials presented on 13 April 1976Ambassador11 September 19791 September 1984Credentials presented on 18 September 1979Ambassador1 September 198431 January 1986Credentials presented on 22 October 1984Ambassador31 January 198630 May 1988Ambassador30 May 198825 December 1991
Russian Federation to Greece (1991–present) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesAmbassador18 March 1992 17 April 1997 Valentina MatviyenkoAmbassador2 October 1997 24 September 1998Ambassador13 January 1999 10 November 2003Ambassador17 November 2003 24 December 2008Ambassador24 December 200816 June 2014Credentials presented on 27 February 2009 Ambassador16 June 2014
See also List of ambassadors of Greece to Russia
References