List of ambassadors of Russia to Sri Lanka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ambassador of Russia to Sri Lanka is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of Sri Lanka.
| Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry | |
 Incumbent since 8 September 2022Levan Dzhagaryan | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy of Russia in Colombo | |
| Style | His Excellency The Honourable |
| Reports to | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | Colombo |
| Appointer | President of Russia |
| Term length | At the pleasure of the president |
| Website | Embassy of Russia in Colombo |
The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Russian Embassy in Colombo.[1] The current Russian ambassador to Sri Lanka is Levan Dzhagaryan, incumbent since 8 September 2022.[2] The ambassador to Sri Lanka has dual accreditation as the non-resident ambassador to the Maldives since 1966. There is a consulate-general in Malé, Maldives.[3][4]
History of diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and what was then Ceylon were formally established in December 1956, with the appointment of the first ambassador, Vladimir Yakovlev, appointed on 19 February 1957.[5][6] Representatives were thereafter exchanged between the two nations, and after the renaming to Sri Lanka in 1972. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Sri Lanka recognised the Russian Federation as its successor state, and exchange of ambassadors have continued.[5]
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Maldives were established on 14 September 1966, with the incumbent Soviet ambassador to Sri Lanka, Leonid Korobin, concurrently accredited to the Maldives.[3][7] The Maldives recognised the Russian Federation on 31 December 1991, and there was an honorary consul based in the Maldives from at least 2000.[3] Diplomatic relations continued to develop, and in February 2019 the Maldives decided in principle to establish an embassy in Russia, with Russia agreeing in July 2021 to establish a consulate-general in Malé. The first consul-general was appointed in December 2024.[4]
List of representatives (1957–present)
Soviet Union to Ceylon (1957–1972)
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Yakovlev | Ambassador | 19 February 1957 | 8 September 1960 | Credentials presented on 4 May 1957 |
| Nikolai Tarakanov | Ambassador | 8 September 1960 | 27 March 1965 | Credentials presented on 1 November 1960 |
| Leonid Korobin | Ambassador | 27 March 1965 | 26 July 1968 | Credentials presented on 8 June 1965 |
| Valentin Stepanov | Ambassador | 26 July 1968 | 30 August 1970 | Credentials presented on 9 September 1968 |
| Rafiq Nishonov | Ambassador | 30 August 1970 | 22 May 1972 | Credentials presented on 12 October 1970 |
Soviet Union to Sri Lanka (1972–1991)
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafiq Nishonov | Ambassador | 22 May 1972 | 8 June 1978 | |
| Aleksey Pasyutin | Ambassador | 5 September 1978 | 18 December 1981 | Credentials presented on 9 October 1978 |
| Boris Kirnasovsky | Ambassador | 18 December 1981 | 19 November 1985 | |
| Kenesh Kulmatov | Ambassador | 19 November 1985 | 21 July 1988 | |
| Yury Kotov | Ambassador | 21 July 1988 | 17 August 1991 | |
| Yury Vinogradov | Ambassador | 17 August 1991 | 25 December 1991 |
Russian Federation to Sri Lanka (1991–present)
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yury Vinogradov | Ambassador | 25 December 1991 | 25 May 1993 | |
| Oleg Kabanov | Ambassador | 25 May 1993 | 22 January 1998 | |
| Viktor Zotin | Ambassador | 22 January 1998 | 21 March 2001 | |
| Mikhail Konarovsky | Ambassador | 21 March 2001 | 21 February 2002 | |
| Mikhail Karpov | Ambassador | 19 June 2002 | 24 June 2004 | |
| Alexey Shebarshin | Ambassador | 19 January 2005 | 27 August 2008 | |
| Vladimir Mikhailov | Ambassador | 27 August 2008 | 24 August 2012 | |
| Aleksandr Karchava | Ambassador | 24 August 2012 | 21 August 2017 | |
| Yury Matery | Ambassador | 21 August 2017 | 8 September 2022 | Credentials presented on 23 October 2017 |
| Levan Dzhagaryan | Ambassador | 8 September 2022 | Credentials presented on 11 November 2022 |