List of ambassadors of the United States to Russia

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Ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation
Посол Соединëнных Штатов в России
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Lynne M. Tracy, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
Incumbent
Lynne Tracy
since January 30, 2023
Residence Spaso House
Nominator President of the United States
AppointerPresident of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder Francis Dana
as Ambassador
FormationDecember 19, 1789;233 years ago (1789-12-19)
Website U.S. Embassy in Moscow

The ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the Russian Federation. Since January 30, 2023, Lynne M. Tracy is serving as the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.

Contents

History

The Ambassador resides in Spaso House, the former mansion of Nikolay Vtorov. Spaso House Exterior.JPG
The Ambassador resides in Spaso House, the former mansion of Nikolay Vtorov.

The United States first established diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire in 1780. Diplomatic relations were broken off in 1917 when the Bolsheviks seized power, and they were not reestablished until 1933. From 1933 to 1991, the United States recognized the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the ambassador's title was changed to Ambassador to the Russian Federation, as Russia is the USSR's direct successor.

List of ambassadors

Russian Empire (1780–1917)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
Francis Dana December 19, 1780September 1783Proceeded to post, but was not officially nominated at court.
John Quincy Adams June 27, 1809November 5, 1809April 28, 1814Nomination of March 6, 1809 rejected by the Senate; nomination of June 26, 1809 confirmed.
William Pinkney March 7, 1816January 13, 1817February 14, 1818
George Washington Campbell April 16, 1818February 7, 1819July 8, 1820
Henry Middleton April 6, 1820June 17, 1821August 3, 1830
John Randolph May 26, 1830September 19, 1830Proceeded to post, but did not present credentials.
James Buchanan January 4, 1832June 11, 1832August 5, 1833
William Wilkins June 30, 1834December 14, 1834December 24, 1835
John Randolph Clay June 29, 1836September 2, 1836August 5, 1837
George M. Dallas March 7, 1837August 6, 1837July 29, 1839
Churchill C. Cambreleng May 25, 1840September 21, 1840July 13, 1841Commissioned not of record; letter of credence issued on May 25, 1840.
Charles Stewart Todd August 27, 1841November 28, 1841January 27, 1846
Ralph I. Ingersoll August 8, 1846May 30, 1847July 1, 1848
Arthur P. Bagby June 15, 1848January 14, 1849May 14, 1849
Neill S. Brown May 2, 1850August 13, 1850June 23, 1853
Thomas H. Seymour May 24, 1853April 2, 1854July 17, 1858Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on December 6, 1853.
Francis W. Pickens January 11, 1858July 18, 1858September 9, 1860
John Appleton June 8, 1860September 9, 1860June 8, 1861
Cassius Marcellus Clay March 28, 1861July 14, 1861June 25, 1862
Simon Cameron January 17, 1862June 25, 1862September 18, 1862
Cassius Marcellus Clay March 11, 1863May 7, 1863October 1, 1869
Andrew G. Curtin April 16, 1869October 28, 1869July 1, 1872
James Lawrence Orr December 12, 1872March 18, 1873May 6, 1873
Marshall Jewell May 29, 1873December 9, 1873July 19, 1874Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on December 10, 1873.
George H. Boker January 13, 1875July 24, 1875January 14, 1878
Edwin W. Stoughton October 30, 1877January 14, 1878March 2, 1879
John W. Foster January 26, 1880June 11, 1880August 1, 1881
William H. Hunt April 12, 1882August 23, 1882February 27, 1884Died at post.
Alphonso Taft July 4, 1884September 3, 1884July 31, 1885
George V. N. Lothrop May 7, 1885July 31, 1885August 1, 1888Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 13, 1886.
Lambert Tree September 25, 1888January 4, 1889February 2, 1889
C. Allen Thorndike Rice March 30, 1889Took oath of office, but died in the United States before proceeding to post.
Charles Emory Smith February 14, 1890May 14, 1890April 17, 1892
Andrew D. White July 22, 1892November 7, 1892October 1, 1894
Clifton R. Breckinridge July 20, 1894November 1, 1894December 10, 1897Officially recognized on November 1, 1894.
Ethan A. Hitchcock August 16, 1897December 16, 1897Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on December 18, 1897.
Ethan A. Hitchcock February 11, 1898March 21, 1898January 28, 1899Position upgraded to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Charlemagne Tower, Jr. January 12, 1899March 19, 1899November 19, 1902
Robert S. McCormick September 26, 1902January 12, 1903March 27, 1905Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on December 8, 1902.
George von Lengerke Meyer March 8, 1905April 12, 1905January 26, 1907
John W. Riddle December 19, 1906February 8, 1907September 8, 1909
William Woodville Rockhill May 17, 1909January 11, 1910June 17, 1911
Curtis Guild April 24, 1911August 17, 1911April 24, 1913
George T. Marye July 9, 1914October 30, 1914March 29, 1916Resigned due to poor health. [1]
David R. Francis March 6, 1916May 5, 1916November 7, 1917Normal relations interrupted, November 7, 1917 after the October Revolution; the new Soviet regime unrecognized by the United States when Francis left Russia on November 7, 1918. He was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when Embassy in Russia was closed September 14, 1919.

Soviet Union (1933–1991)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
William Christian Bullitt, Jr. November 21, 1933December 13, 1933May 16, 1936Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
Joseph E. Davies November 16, 1936January 25, 1937June 11, 1938Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 23, 1937.
Laurence A. Steinhardt March 23, 1939August 11, 1939November 12, 1941
William H. Standley February 14, 1942April 14, 1942September 19, 1943
W. Averell Harriman October 7, 1943October 23, 1943January 24, 1946
Walter Bedell Smith March 22, 1946April 3, 1946December 25, 1948
Alan G. Kirk May 21, 1949July 4, 1949October 6, 1951
George F. Kennan March 14, 1952May 14, 1952September 19, 1952The Government of the Soviet Union declared Kennan persona non grata on October 3, 1952, and he did not return to his post.
Charles E. Bohlen March 27, 1953April 20, 1953April 18, 1957
Llewellyn Thompson June 3, 1957July 16, 1957July 27, 1962
Foy D. Kohler August 20, 1962September 27, 1962November 14, 1966
Llewellyn Thompson October 13, 1966January 23, 1967January 14, 1969
Jacob D. Beam March 14, 1969April 18, 1969January 24, 1973 Adolph Dubs served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim between January 1973 and March 1974.
Walter J. Stoessel, Jr. December 19, 1973March 4, 1974September 13, 1976
Malcolm Toon November 24, 1976January 18, 1977October 16, 1979Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on June 8, 1977.
Thomas J. Watson, Jr. October 10, 1979October 29, 1979January 15, 1981
Arthur A. Hartman September 28, 1981October 26, 1981February 20, 1987
Jack F. Matlock, Jr. March 12, 1987April 6, 1987August 11, 1991
Robert S. Strauss August 2, 1991August 24, 1991November 19, 1992Commissioned to the Soviet Union – continued to serve as Ambassador to the Russian Federation after the collapse of the USSR.

Russian Federation (1992–present)

ImageNameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
ThomasRPickering.jpg Thomas R. Pickering May 12, 1993May 21, 1993November 1, 1996 Chargé d'Affaires ad interim: Richard M. Miles (November 1996–May 1997), and John F. Tefft (May 1997–January 1998).
JamesFCollins.jpg James Franklin Collins August 1, 1996January 26, 1998July 10, 2001
Alexander Vershbow.JPG Alexander Vershbow July 12, 2001October 17, 2001July 22, 2005
Assignment- 59-CF-DS-22432-05) Official portrait of William Burns, U.S. Ambassador-designate to Russia (Photographer- Ann Thomas--State) (59-CF-DS-22432-05 Amb BillBurns0086 fromPSD - DPLA - 24e3adb7aadd75ad1930cff23ef02645.jpg William J. Burns August 10, 2005November 8, 2005May 12, 2008
John Beyrle official resized.jpg John Beyrle May 13, 2008September 18, 2008January 4, 2012
Michael McFaul.jpg Michael McFaul January 10, 2012February 22, 2012February 26, 2014
John F Tefft ambassador 2014.jpg John F. Tefft July 31, 2014November 19, 2014September 28, 2017 Anthony Godfrey, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
Jon Huntsman Jr.jpg Jon Huntsman Jr. September 28, 2017October 3, 2017October 3, 2019
John J Sullivan (cropped).jpg John J. Sullivan December 12, 2019February 5, 2020September 4, 2022 Elizabeth Rood, chargée d'affaires ad interim
Lynne M. Tracy, U.S. Ambassador.jpg Lynne Tracy December 21, 2022January 30, 2023

Notes

  1. "Ambassador Marye, Broken in Health Resigns". East Oregonian. Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon. February 23, 1916. Retrieved February 23, 2016.

See also

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References