List of ambassadors of Russia to the Holy See
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Holy See is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the pope in his capacity as the bishop of Rome, head of the Catholic Church, and head of state of Vatican City.[1][2]
| Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Holy See | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry | |
 Incumbent since 16 May 2023Ivan Soltanovsky | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| Style | His Excellency The Honourable |
| Reports to | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | Rome |
| Appointer | |
| Term length |
|
| Website | Embassy of Russia in France |
The post of Russian ambassador to the Holy See is currently held by Ivan Soltanovsky, incumbent since 16 May 2023.[3] In common with many representatives to the Holy See, the ambassador and his staff live and work outside the Vatican City, in Rome. Since 1992, the ambassador to the Holy See has also held the post of representative to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
History of diplomatic relations
Formal diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Soviet Union were only established in 1990, shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Representatives continued to be appointed by the USSR's successor state, the Russian Federation, and in 2010 the level of relations was raised to that of the exchange of embassies.
List of representatives (1990–present)
Soviet Union to the Holy See (1990–1991)
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yury Karlov | Representative | 1990 | 25 December 1991 | |
Russian Federation to the Holy See (1991–present)
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yury Karlov | Representative | 25 December 1991 | 26 May 1995 | |
| Vyacheslav Kostikov | Representative | 26 May 1995 | 19 September 1996 | |
| Gennady Uranov | Representative | 19 September 1996 | 11 January 2001 | |
| Vitaly Litvin | Representative | 11 January 2001 | 26 August 2005 | |
| Nikolai Sadchikov | Representative Ambassador after 2010 |
26 August 2005 | 13 January 2013 | |
| Aleksandr Avdeyev | Ambassador | 13 January 2013 | 16 May 2023 | |
| Ivan Soltanovsky | Ambassador | 16 May 2023 | ||