List of ambassadors of Russia to Belgium

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium is the official representative of the President and the Government of the Russian Federation to the King and the Government of Belgium.

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium
Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Incumbent
Aleksandr Tokovinin
since 16 June 2016
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Embassy of Russia in Brussels
StyleHis Excellency
The Honourable
Reports toMinister of Foreign Affairs
SeatBrussels
AppointerPresident of Russia
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
Formation1853
First holderMikhail Khreptovich
WebsiteEmbassy of Russia in Belgium

The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Embassy of Russia in Brussels.[1] There is a consulate general in Antwerp.[2] The post of Russian Ambassador to Belgium is currently held by Aleksandr Tokovinin, incumbent since 16 June 2016.[3]

History of diplomatic relations
Main article: Belgium–Russia relations

Diplomatic relations between the Russian Empire and Belgium were first established in 1853, with the first envoy to Belgium, Mikhail Khreptovich, appointed on 11 April 1853. The last imperial envoy, Dmitry Nelidov, continued to represent Russia as an agent of the Russian Provisional Government after the February Revolution in 1917, but ceased to be recognised by the new Soviet government after the October Revolution later that year. Diplomatic relations were established between the Soviet Union and Belgium in 1935, and a new representative, Yevgeny Rubinin was appointed on 2 November that year. His tenure came to an end with the German invasion and subsequent occupation of Belgium in 1940. Relations were restored once more in 1941 after the Soviet Union entered the war on the side of the allies, with Aleksandr Bogomolov appointed envoy to the Belgian government in exile in London. By early 1943 the mission had been upgraded to an embassy. Relations continued after the war, and with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the incumbent Soviet ambassador, Nikolai Afanasevsky, continued as the representative of the Russian Federation until 1994.[4][5][6][7][8]

List of representatives (1853 – present)

Representatives of the Russian Empire to Belgium (1853 – 1917)
Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Mikhail Khreptovich Envoy 11 April 1853 17 July 1856
Aleksandr Rikhter Envoy 17 July 1856 16 April 1859
Nikolay Orlov Envoy 3 July 1859 13 December 1869
Andrey Bludov Envoy 13 December 1869 30 March 1886
Lev Urusov Envoy 3 June 1886 19 November 1897
Nikolai Girs Envoy 4 December 1897 20 September 1910
Ivan Kudashev Envoy 20 September 1910 17 February 1916
Dmitry Nelidov Envoy 10 March 1916 3 March 1917

Representatives of the Russian Provisional Government to Belgium (1917)
Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Dmitry Nelidov Envoy 3 March 1917 26 November 1917

Representatives of the Soviet Union to Belgium (1935 – 1991)
Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Yevgeny Rubinin Envoy 2 November 1935 15 July 1940
Aleksandr Bogomolov Envoy 18 October 1942 30 November 1943 Envoy to the Belgian government in exile in London
Ambassador in 1943
Viktor Lebedev Ambassador 30 November 1943 6 January 1945
Mikhail Sergeyev Ambassador 20 March 1945 12 July 1946
Aleksei Pavlov Ambassador 18 August 1946 25 April 1950
Viktor Avilov Ambassador 24 January 1953 9 October 1958
Sergey Afanasyev Ambassador 9 October 1958 31 August 1962
Pavel Gerasimov Ambassador 29 September 1962 25 March 1967
Vasily Grubyakov Ambassador 31 March 1967 28 January 1969
Fyodor Molochkov Ambassador 28 June 1969 8 July 1971
Vladimir Sobolev Ambassador 8 July 1971 30 April 1975
Sergey Romanovsky Ambassador 30 April 1975 30 October 1984
Sergey Nikitin Ambassador 30 November 1984 25 May 1987
Feliks Bogdanov Ambassador 25 May 1987 8 June 1990
Nikolay Afanasevsky Ambassador 24 June 1990 25 December 1991

Representatives of the Russian Federation to Belgium (1991 – present)
Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Nikolay Afanasevsky Ambassador 25 December 1991 3 October 1994
Vitaly Churkin Ambassador 3 October 1994 25 February 1998
Sergey Kislyak Ambassador 25 February 1998 28 May 2003
Vadim Lukov Ambassador 30 September 2004 27 October 2009
Aleksandr Romanov Ambassador 18 December 2009 16 June 2016
Aleksandr Tokovinin Ambassador 16 June 2016

References
  1. "Посольство Российской Федерации в Королевстве Бельгия" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  2. "Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Antwerp". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  3. "Посол" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  4. Главы Российских Дипломатических Представительств В Бельгии (in Russian). Embassy of Russia in Brussels. Archived from the original on 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  5. Послы СССР и России в Европе (in Russian). Pseudology.org. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  6. Представители Российской Империи В Других Странах (in Russian). Worldwide Historical Project. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  7. Послы Союза Советских Социалистических Республик В Странах Европы (in Russian). Worldwide Historical Project. Archived from the original on 2010-04-25. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  8. Послы Российской Федерации В Странах Европы (in Russian). Worldwide Historical Project. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
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