History of diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between the forerunners of the modern states of Sweden and Russia date back to the seventeenth century. Much of the early contact was marked with conflict as Russia extended its borders into regions around the Baltic controlled by Sweden. Some early representatives were Dmitry Frantsbekov [ ru ], sent on a diplomatic mission by Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich between 1634 and 1636, and Andrey Khilkov, sent by Peter the Great in 1700. [4] The Great Northern War began shortly after his appointment and Khilkov spent the next eighteen years imprisoned in Sweden until his death. Peace between Russia and Sweden was only secured in 1721 with the signing of the Treaty of Nystad. Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin was appointed as envoy that year, representing the newly-declared Russian Empire. [5]
Relations were broken off several times during the eighteenth century as Sweden and Russia fought several wars. The first was the Russo-Swedish War which broke out in 1741, and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Åbo in 1743. Further ruptures occured with the 1788–1790 Russo-Swedish War, ended with the Treaty of Värälä, and the Finnish War between 1808 and 1809, settled with the Treaty of Fredrikshamn. A period of extended peace between the two countries followed, which lasted until the early nineteenth century. [4] [5] Relations were maintained during the First World War, and after the February Revolution in 1917 overthrew the Russian monarchy and established the Russian Provisional Government. Relations were soon established with the new regime after the October Revolution brought the Bolshevik regime to power. Vatslav Vorovsky served as diplomatic representative of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic between 1917 and 1919, and was succeeded by Platon Kerzhentsev between 1921 and 1923. [6] In 1923, with the establishment of the Soviet Union, Valerian Obolensky became the new diplomatic representative, upgraded to plenipotentiary representative in 1924. [6]
Relations were maintained throughout the twentieth century between the two states, including the long tenure of Alexandra Kollontai, who served as representative between 1930 and 1945, at first as plenipotentiary representative until 1943, and thereafter as ambassador after the missions were upgraded to embassies. [6] With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Sweden recognised the Russian Federation as its successor state. The incumbent Soviet ambassador, Oleg Grinevsky, served as ambassador of the Russian Federation until 1997, with representatives continuing to be exchanged between the two countries. [6]
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