Russian Embassy in Lebanon

1820-1914

In 1820, in the Syrian provinces of the Ottoman Empire, by decree of Emperor Alexander I , the first Russian diplomatic mission was established - the vice consulate in the city of Jaffa . The purpose of his activity was to protect the interests of Russian citizens who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem . The first Russian vice-consul in Jaffa was George Mostras ^[1] .

In June 1839, the Russian envoy to Constantinople, A. P. Butenev , raised the question of opening a Russian consulate in Beirut . On December 30, 1839, Emperor Nicholas I approved the most popular report of Vice-Chancellor K.V. Nesselrode on the transfer of the Russian consulate from Jaffa to Beirut . The first Russian consul in this city was the distinguished diplomat K. M. Basili (1809-1884). Basil was sworn in on consular oath in Jerusalem at Easter on April 20, 1841. This emphasized the inextricable link of the Beirut consulate with the protection of Russian interests in the Holy Land. In 1844, the status of the consulate was upgraded to general. In the Beirut house of Basili N. Gogol (in 1848 ), the poet P. A. Vyazemsky, and the head of the Russian spiritual mission Porfiry Uspensky , stayed in Lebanon.

In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia , the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church also intensified its activities in Syria. In 1847, the Russian spiritual mission was established in Jerusalem under the leadership of Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky). The mission not only maintained close contacts with the local Orthodox clergy, but also led missionary activities, assisting in the arrangement of Orthodox schools and seminaries.

Bazili headed the consulate until 1853 , that is, before the start of the Crimean War , when he lowered the flag over the building of the Beirut consulate general of the Russian Empire and left for Italy, and from there to Russia. The Russian Consul General was absent in Beirut for only three years, until 1856.

Since 1856, the Consul General in Beirut has been State Counselor N. E. Mukhin ^[2] (Consul General of Russia in Syria and Palestine).

In July 1861, Russian diplomat Nikolai Ignatiev arrived in Constantinople to congratulate Sultan Abdul-Aziz on assuming the throne. Before his arrival in the Ottoman Empire, there were 5 general consulates (Constantinople, Beirut, Belgrade, Bucharest, Trabzon), 18 consulates and 7 vice-presidents consulates

In 1882, the Orthodox Palestinian Society was created in Lebanon, which in 1889 was awarded the title of "imperial". His efforts in Lebanon opened about 20 Orthodox schools for Arab children.

In 1888, the Beirut wilayah ( Eng. Beirut Vilayet ) was separated from the Syrian vilayat .

In 1905, the Consul General in Beirut - Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Gagarin.

In the fall of 1914, in connection with the outbreak of the First World War , in which the Ottoman Empire was one of the opponents of Russia, the consulate general in Beirut was closed.

The list of diplomats who headed the Russian consulate general in Beirut from 1839 to 1914:

• KM Basili (1839-1853, Consul General since 1843)
• N.E. Mukhin (1856-1859)
• A.F. Beger (1860-1869)
• K. D. Petkovich (1869-1897)
• K.N. Lishin (1897-1902)
• N.N. Demerik (1903-1905)
• Prince A. A. Gagarin (1906-1911)
• G. D. Batyushkov (1912-1914)

Independent Lebanon - USSR

In 1941, Lebanon declared independence (after the British were liberated from the forces of Vichy France , it was recognized two years later.

In 1943, the USSR recognized the independence of Lebanon. In August 1944, diplomatic relations were established at the mission level. In 1946, France withdrew troops from Lebanon and recognized the complete independence of the country.

In 1956, the diplomatic missions of the USSR and Lebanon were transformed into embassies.

In September 1985, four employees of the USSR Embassy were captured. Of these, one was killed, and three were released.

Embassy of the Russian Federation

In early 2000, the Russian embassy in Beirut was attacked.

List of Ambassadors of the Russian Federation in Lebanon

• 1990–1996 - G. V. Il'ichev
• 1996-1999 - O. G. Peresypkin
• 1999—2004 - B.F. Bolotin
• 2004–2010 - S. N. Bukin
• from October 1, 2010 - A. S. Zasypkin

• Embassy of Lebanon in Moscow
• List of diplomatic missions of Russia

• Official site
• Embassy on Wikimapia
• O. Kolobov - Konstantin Mikhailovich Bazili and the Russian consulate in Beirut.
• The Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Lebanon: the main weapon of a diplomat is creativity. Interview of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin. February 8, 2013
• Lebanese want to see Russia strong. 02.23.2015