PHOTOfact: Exhibition “Three Centuries of St. Petersburg Diplomacy” opens at the Russian Embassy in Belarus
11:45, 11 February
The Russian Embassy in Belarus has opened an exhibition called "Three Centuries of St. Petersburg Diplomacy," which is dedicated to the history of Russia's foreign policy service.
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The first visitors of the exhibition on the occasion of the Day of the Russian Diplomatic Worker were representatives of the MFA of Belarus and representatives of Russian organizations accredited in Minsk.
The exhibition's concept is to explore the history of Russian diplomacy through the prism of the personal contributions of the leaders of the MFA of the Russian Empire in protecting and promoting the country's interests on the global stage. The exhibition presents biographies of the leaders of MFA, their achievements, author's publications, and unique archival documents from the collections of the Historical and Documentary Department of the MFA of the Russian Federation and the Russian National Library named after M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (Saint Petersburg).
Addressing the participants of the event, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov emphasized:
"Historical memory and continuity are important for everyone, but they hold particular value for diplomats. Today, on our professional holiday, we are presenting unique materials that tell about the life and professional path of our great predecessors. By turning to the biographies of the leaders of the Imperial Foreign Ministry and studying their diplomatic practices, we find inspiring examples of service to the Fatherland in the face of the most serious external challenges".
One of the exhibition stands is dedicated to Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev, who headed the MFA from 1807 to 1814. Count Rumyantsev's life and work are a significant chapter in the shared history of Russia and Belarus. In addition to his achievements in diplomacy, Nikolai Petrovich is renowned for his contributions to charity and education.
"His role in the history of Gomel, the city associated with an important period of the diplomat's life and creative achievements as a philanthropist and educator, is exceptionally significant. The first educational institutions, a pharmacy and a hospital, a guesthouse and a marketplace, as well as factories and plants, all their appearance in Gomel is connected precisely with this outstanding figure," the Ambassador noted.
The exhibition "Three Centuries of St. Petersburg Diplomacy" has been successfully showcased at the State Hermitage Museum and the State Museum of Political History of Russia, as well as at the main building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, and at the Departmental University of MGIMO, where it has been used as a teaching and educational resource for training future diplomats.
In the future, the exhibition will be presented at Russian diplomatic missions in Brest, Grodno, Gomel, and other cities in Belarus.
