List of ambassadors of Russia to Bulgaria

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Bulgaria
Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Incumbent
Eleonora Mitrofanova
since 15 January 2021
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Embassy of Russia in Sofia
StyleHis Excellency
The Honourable
Reports toMinister of Foreign Affairs
SeatSofia
AppointerPresident of Russia
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
WebsiteEmbassy of Russia in Bulgaria

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Bulgaria is the official representative of the President and the Government of the Russian Federation to the President and the Government of Bulgaria.[1]

The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Embassy of Russia in Sofia.[2] There are consulates general in Rousse and Varna.[3][4] The post of Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria is currently held by Eleonora Mitrofanova, incumbent since 15 January 2021.[5]

History of diplomatic relations

Diplomatic relations between the Russian Empire and the Principality of Bulgaria were established on 7 July 1879, in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, which established a de facto independent Bulgarian state. State Counselor Aleksandr Davydov [ru] was appointed "diplomatic agent and consul general in Bulgaria" on 13 September [O.S. 25 September] 1878, and presented his credentials to Alexander of Battenberg on 7 July [O.S. 25 June] 1879.[6] Bulgarian policy thereafter diverged from Russian interests, and after Bulgarian success in the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885, Russia compelled Alexander to abdicate the following year, and diplomatic relations were interrupted. They were restored in 1896.[6]

Diplomatic relations were again suspended on 6 October 1915, after Bulgaria's entry into the First World War on the side of the Central Powers. After the withdrawal of Russia from the war and the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on 3 March 1918, diplomatic relations were nominally restored between the Russian government, now under Bolshevik leadership, and the Central Powers.[6] Stefan Chaproshikov was appointed to head the Bulgarian mission to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and was able to present his credentials to Yakov Sverdlov, Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets.[6] With the defeat of the Central Powers in 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was formally abrogated on 13 November 1918 by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and diplomatic relations were again suspended.[6]

Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Bulgaria were established at the mission level in 1934, and continued during the Second World War, despite the fact the Bulgaria was nominally part of the Tripartite Pact alongside Germany, Italy and Japan.[6] On 5 September 1944, with the Red Army advancing towards the Balkans, the Soviet Union declared war on Bulgaria. Bulgarian forces offered little resistance to the advancing Soviets, and the country was occupied. Relations between the Soviet Union and Bulgaria were restored in August 1945, and on 6 January 1946 an agreement was reached to upgrade the diplomatic missions into embassies.[6] With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Soviet ambassador continued as representative of the Russian Federation.[6]

List of representatives (1878 – present)

Representatives of the Russian Empire to Bulgaria (1878 – 1915)

Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Aleksandr Davydov [ru] Diplomatic agent and consul general 18 August 1878 26 April 1880
Alexey Kumani Diplomatic agent and consul general 26 April 1880 29 March 1881
Mikhail Khitrovo [ru] Diplomatic agent and consul general 29 March 1881 2 March 1883
Aleksandr Ionin [ru] Special representative 1 August 1883 March 1884
Aleksandr Koyander [ru] Diplomatic agent 25 February 1884 3 June 1886
Nikolai Kaulbars [ru] Diplomatic agent 2 February 1886 9 November 1886
Nikolai Charykov [ru] Diplomatic agent 1 February 1896 18 February 1897
Georgiy Bakhmetev Diplomatic agent 18 February 1897 1905
Andrey Sheglov Envoy 1906 1907
Dmitry Sementovsky-Kurillo [ru] Envoy 1907 1911
Anatoly Neklyudov [ru] Envoy 1911 1913
Aleksandr Savinsky [ru] Envoy 1913 1915

Representatives of the Soviet Union to Bulgaria (1934 – 1991)

Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Fyodor Raskolnikov Plenipotentiary 31 August 1934 5 April 1938
Anatoly Lavrentiev Plenipotentiary 30 September 1939 14 June 1940
Aleksandr Lavrishev [ru] Plenipotentiary (before 9 May 1940)
Envoy (after 9 May 1940) 		22 June 1940 1944
Dmitry Fedichkin [ru] Diplomatic representative 1944 5 September 1944
Stepan Kirsanov [ru] Envoy (until 6 January 1948)
Then Ambassador 		22 August 1945 6 August 1948
Mikhail Bodrov Ambassador 6 August 1948 28 January 1954
Yury Prikhodov [ru] Ambassador 28 January 1954 25 May 1960
Georgy Denisov [ru] Ambassador 25 May 1960 12 January 1963
Nikolai Organov Ambassador 12 January 1963 12 April 1967
Alexander Puzanov Ambassador 12 April 1967 4 May 1972
Vladimir Bazovsky [ru] Ambassador 4 May 1972 8 May 1979
Nikita Tolubeyev [ru] Ambassador 8 May 1979 10 July 1983
Leonid Grekov [ru] Ambassador 10 July 1983 26 February 1988
Viktor Sharapov [ru] Ambassador 26 February 1988 25 December 1991

Representatives of the Russian Federation to Bulgaria (1991 – present)

Name Title Appointment Termination Notes
Viktor Sharapov [ru] Ambassador 25 December 1991 22 April 1992
Aleksandr Avdeyev Ambassador 28 July 1992 2 November 1996
Leonid Kerestedzhiyants [ru] Ambassador 2 November 1996 31 December 1999
Vladimir Titov [ru] Ambassador 31 December 1999 25 May 2004
Anatoly Potapov [ru] Ambassador 25 May 2004 14 July 2008
Yury Isakov [ru] Ambassador 14 July 2008 17 August 2016
Antaloy Makarov [ru] Ambassador 17 August 2016 15 January 2021
Eleonora Mitrofanova Ambassador 15 January 2021

References

  1. ^ "Short history of the Russian-Bulgarian diplomatic relations". Embassy of Russia in Sofia. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  2. ^ "Посольство Российской Федерации в Республике Болгарии" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Генеральное консульство Российской Федерации в г.Русе (Республика Болгария)" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  4. ^ "ГЕНЕРАЛЬНОЕ КОНСУЛЬСТВО РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ В Г.ВАРНА (РЕСПУБЛИКА БОЛГАРИЯ)" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Биография" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "История дипломатических отношений между Россией и Болгарией" (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). Retrieved 8 October 2019.
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