🕯️Today is the 6th anniversary of the demise of Alexander Kadakin, the legendary Russian diplomat and a great lover of India. A Padma Bhushan awardee, he will ever remain to us a beacon and lifelong inspiration! Everlasting memory.

#InMemoriam

On the occasion of 🇷🇺 #Russia's #DiplomatsDay Ambassador Denis Alipov, staff of the Russian diplomatic mission and students of the Embassy's school honored the memory of Alexander Kadakin, prominent diplomat, former Russian Ambassador to India, during a traditional ceremony on the Alexander Kadakin Street in #NewDelhi | #inmemoriam

#InMemoriam

Ahead of the #DiplomatsDay (celebrated on February 10), we cherish the memory of Alexander Gorchakov, an outstanding Russian diplomat and statesman who served as the last Chancellor of the Russian Empire.

🗓 When he was appointed head of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Empire in 1856, Gorchakov devoted his efforts to changing the conditions of the Treaty of Paris, which sealed the outcome of the Crimean War. His goal was to revoke the neutral status of the Black Sea and to regain control of Bessarabia.

✍️ On August 21, 1856, Gorchakov dispatched a directive outlining new foreign policy objectives to all Russian embassies. It contained a phrase that resonated throughout Europe: “Some say that Russia is angry. No, Russia is not angry, Russia is concentrating.” This phrase conveyed Russia’s decision to refrain from becoming actively involved in European affairs to restore order at home. Another element of the new policy was that Russia would no longer sacrifice its interests to please anyone.

Gorchakov’s diplomatic skills prevented Austria from joining the Franco-Prussian war, which ensured Prussia’s victory over France. This allowed Russia to stop implementing the Paris Treaty articles that limited its sovereignty in the Black Sea and to encourage other countries to recognise this new state of affairs at the international conference in London in 1871.

👉 Thanks to Gorchakov’s efforts, the international situation underwent a transformation, enabling Russia to launch reforms that resulted in a huge economic leap in the last 30 years of the XIX century.

Gorchakov’s principle of prioritising national interests in foreign policy remains relevant in Russian diplomacy. Alexander Gorchakov is respected as a bright example of competence, dedication and service to the Fatherland.

☝️ An outstanding statesman & a brilliant politician, Alexander Gorchakov believed that diplomacy must not divide nations but bring them closer together and promote their interaction based on common interests.