Dear colleagues, friends,
It has become a good tradition to gather in the Mansion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on the occasion of the stamp cancellation ceremony dedicated to prominent figures of the foreign service of our country.
I am pleased to state that the philatelic series “History of Russian Diplomacy” has a large addition — stamps have been issued for the anniversaries of A.A.Bezborodko, G.V.Chicherin and A.M.Kollontai. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the staff The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, joint stock companies “Marka” and “Russian Post”, colleagues from the Historical and Documentary Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry – all who have done this great and necessary work.
There are many bright names in the annals of the Russian diplomatic department. Today we pay tribute to our colleagues who at different times have made a significant personal contribution to defending the interests of the Motherland in the international arena.
Chancellor A.A.Bezborodko was responsible for the entire Russian foreign policy at the end of the XVIII century. Suffice it to mention that he did a lot to recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia, concluded a number of important agreements and treaties with leading European states. At the same time, all his efforts were aimed at ensuring lasting peace on the continent, which is so necessary for Russia for its progressive internal development. It is natural that A.A.Bezborodko is immortalized on the monument “The Millennium of Russia” in Veliky Novgorod. This is another evidence of what important issues he dealt with and successfully solved them.
Standing at the helm of our diplomacy in a difficult time, G.V. Chicherin did everything possible to strengthen the position of the Motherland in the new realities. His asset is overcoming the country’s international isolation: the so-called “confession streak”, which did not immediately begin, but then developed rapidly. I would especially like to note the energetic work of G.V. Chicherin on the development of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the East. These are the current directions of our foreign policy in modern realities.
A.M. Kollontai is an unusually bright figure in the history of our diplomacy. A brilliant speaker, a talented publicist, a master negotiator, she worked fruitfully to promote relations with Norway, Mexico, Sweden. Heading the diplomatic mission in Stockholm during the harsh years of the Great Patriotic War, Alexandra Mikhailovna played a significant role in the negotiations on Finland’s withdrawal from the war. This made it possible to redeploy Red Army formations to other sectors of the front.
Dear colleagues,
We can talk for a long time about these diplomats, true professionals, dedicated to their work. Their names are inscribed in golden letters in the history of our Ministry. We will continue to promote the implementation of various projects and initiatives to preserve the memory and educate the younger generation of Russian diplomats in the spirit of glorious traditions. We will always honor our outstanding predecessors.
