Russian Empire-United States diplomatic missions

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Russian Empire–United States relations
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United States
Diplomatic mission
Russian Embassy, Washington, D.C. American Embassy, Saint Petersburg

The Russian Empire and the United States both had an embassy and consulates in each others nations during their diplomatic relations. A few months after the Russian Empire fell during the February Revolution in 1917, the United States government began to pay the consuls' expenses at all seven locations because of the importance they were playing in assisting the large number of Russian emigrants coming to North America. [1] On November 16, 1933, some of the consulates were closed after the signing of the Roosevelt-Litvinov agreement where the United States recognized the Soviet Union and diplomatic relations between the two countries began. [2]

Contents

Embassy

The Russian Empire Embassy was located in Washington, D.C. in Mrs. George Pullman House, while the United States Embassy was located in Saint Petersburg.

Russian Consulates

Chicago

The consulate located in Chicago, Illinois was responsible for assisting Russian subjects and affairs in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. [1] The first consul was Baron Ernest de Shilling from 1909 to 1912, followed by Victor Chihckine from 1912-1914, and finally Antoine Volkoff who served as consul general from 1914 until November 16, 1933, which is when the Roosevelt-Litvinov agreement was signed where the United States recognized the Soviet Union and diplomatic relations between the two countries began. [1] [2] [3]

Honolulu

The consulate located in Honolulu, Hawaii was responsible for assisting Russian subjects and affairs in Hawaii, and was under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Consulate. [1] Imperial Russian Vice Consul in Honolulu were J.C. Pflueger from 1862-1872, J.W. Pflueger from 1872-1886, J.F. Hackfeld from 1886-1900, I.A. Isenberg from 1900-1904, and F.A. Klamp from 1904-1907. [1]

New York

Many Russian emigrants that came to the United States between 1903-1926 came thru New York, making the New York consulate an important part of the Russian Empire's diplomatic mission. [1]

Philadelphia

The consulate located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was responsible for assisting Russian subjects and affairs in Pennsylvania, and was under the jurisdiction of the New York Consulate until 1915 when responsibility was assumed by the consul general in Pittsburgh. [1] It was headed by Imperial Russian Vice Consul William H. Tucker, an American citizen and prominent member of the Philadelphia Board of Trade, who was appointed in 1895 and named full consul in 1912. [1]

Portland

The consulate located in Portland, Oregon was responsible for assisting Russian subjects and affairs in Oregon, and was under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Consulate. [1] It was headed by Imperial Russian Vice Consul Gustav Wilson, a Finnish-born American citizen who was appointed in 1883 and served until 1901. [1] The Portland consulate was closed after Wilson's resignation in 1901, and records were moved to the San Francisco Consulate. [1]

San Francisco

On February 14, 1852, due to increased activity of the Russian-American Company in California, the government of the Russian Empire appointed entrepreneur William Montgomery Stuart as its first consul in San Francisco. [4] The consulate in San Francisco, California was responsible for Russian subjects and affairs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Hawaii and Alaska. [1]

Seattle

The consulate in Seattle, Washington was responsible for assisting Russian subjects and affairs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, and was under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Consulate. [1] It was closed on November 16, 1933, which is when the Roosevelt-Litvinov agreement was signed where the United States recognized the Soviet Union and diplomatic relations between the two countries began. [1] [2]

American Consulates

Odesa

The consulate in Odesa operated from 1830 to 1918. [5]

Saint Petersburg

The consulate provided assistance to Russian and American citizens in Northwestern Russia.

Vladivostok

The consulate in Vladivostok was opened in 1875, but it was subsequently closed after the Soviet Revolution in 1923. [6] The consulate provided assistance to Russian and American citizens in the Far East and in Eastern Siberia.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Records of Imperial Russian Consulates in the United States, 1862-1922" (PDF). National Archives. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Circular to all American Diplomatic Missions Sent by Mr. William Phillips, the Acting Secretary of State1". American Journal of International Law. 28 (s1): 14–15. January 1934. doi:10.2307/2213469. JSTOR   2213469 . Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  3. ↑ "ANTOINE VOLKOFF; Ex-Diplomat of the Czar Dies as War Plant Worker". New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  4. ↑ "История официального представительства Российской Федерации на территории современного консульского округа". sanfrancisco.mid.ru. Archived from the original on 2017-09-14. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Activities of US consuls in Odesa in the second half of the 19th century". Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Российское шампанское и американское вино: Генконсульству США во Владивостоке 25 лет". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
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