Abstract
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a very hierarchical and centralized structure. The majority of recruits come from the Moscow State University of International Relations. Diplomats generally focus on one region of the world, moving from post to post while slowly rising through the ranks. While the ministry is a prestigious institution in Russia, recent challenges have decreased its attraction for the best potential recruits. Many students in the pool of prospective diplomats cite a perceived lack of professional freedom within the ministry. As fewer of the traditionally trained Soviet era diplomats remain, the ministry will face the challenge of integrating the younger post-Soviet generation into the fabric of Russian diplomacy.
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Notes
- 1.
“The 210th Anniversary of the Russian Foreign Office,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, September 7, 2012. http://www.mid.ru/en/about/social_organizations. Accessed March 29, 2019.
- 2.
T. V. Zonova, “Diplomatic Cultures: Comparing Russia and the West in Terms of a ‘Modern Model of Diplomacy,’” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 2 no. 1 (2007): 1–23.
- 3.
Igor S. Ivanov, The New Russian Diplomacy (Washington: Brookings Institution, 2004).
- 4.
“Of Russian Origin: Slavophiles and Zapadniki,” Russiapedia, 2016. http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/slavophiles-and-zapadniki/. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 5.
Ivanov, The New Russian Diplomacy.
- 6.
Ibid.
- 7.
“Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, February 18, 2019. http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/official_documents/-/asset_publisher/CptICkB6BZ29/content/id/122186. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 8.
“Global Diplomacy Index,” Lowy Institute. http://www.lowyinstitute.org/global-diplomacy-index/. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 9.
“2016 Spending Budget on the Foreign Ministry Could Reach Almost 98 Billion Rubles,” Russia Today, July 10, 2015. https://ria.ru/economy/20151007/1298250077.html. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 10.
“The Draft Budget: Defense Spending in Russia in 2016 Will Amount to 4% of GDP,” Russia Today, October 24, 2015. https://ria.ru/economy/20151024/1307503105.html. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 11.
Kseniya Gulia. “Peers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Kommersant, February 9, 2009. http://kommersant.ru/doc/1108422. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 12.
“Structural Diagram of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation,” October 8, 2014. http://www.mid.ru/diverse/-/asset_publisher/8bWtTfQKqtaS/content/id/679878. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 13.
“The Female Face of Russian Diplomacy,” Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Krasnoyarsk. http://krsk.mid.ru/zensiny-v-diplomatii. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 14.
Gulia, “Peers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
- 15.
International Panel on Diplomacy. Austin, January 14, 2016.
- 16.
Yelena Biberman, “The Politics of Diplomatic Service Reform in Post-Soviet Russia,” Political Science Quarterly 126, no. 4 (Winter 2011–2012): 669–680.
- 17.
Gulia, “Peers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
- 18.
“Diplomatic Academy of Russian Foreign Ministry.” http://www.dipacademy.ru/en/. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 19.
Ibid.
- 20.
Ibid.
- 21.
Biberman, “The Politics of Diplomatic Service Reform.”
- 22.
Authors’ interview, Austin, November 13, 2016.
- 23.
“Programmes.” Diplomatic Academy of Russian Foreign Ministry. http://www.dipacademy.ru/programmes/. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 24.
Authors’ interview, Austin, November 13, 2016.
- 25.
“Model Law on Diplomatic Service (Adopted in Saint Petersburg 13 June 2000),” Levonevsky Valery Stanislavovich, 2007. http://pravo.levonevsky.org/bazazru/texts17/txt17318.htm. Accessed March 19, 2019.
- 26.
Gulia, “Peers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
- 27.
Ibid.
- 28.
Gulia, “Peers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
- 29.
Daniel Payne, “Spiritual Security, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Russian Foreign Ministry: Collaboration or Cooptation?” Journal of Church and State 52, no. 4 (2010): 716.
- 30.
Vladimir Putin, “Transcript: Putin says Russia will protect the rights of Russians abroad.” Washington Post, March 18, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/transcript-putin-says-russia-will-protect-the-rights-of-russians-abroad/2014/03/18/432a1e60-ae99-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html?utm_term=.8dff07815a3d. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 31.
Robert C. Blitt, “Russia’s “Orthodox” Foreign Policy: The Growing Influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in Shaping Russia’s Policies Abroad,” Penn Law, November 28, 2011. https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/142-blittboyd33upajintll3632011pdf. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 32.
Sinikukka Saari, “Russia’s Post-Orange Revolution Strategies to Increase its Influence in Former Soviet Republics: Public Diplomacy ‘po russkii,’” Europe-Asia Studies 66, no. 1 (January 2014): 54.
- 33.
Ibid.
- 34.
Nikolay Surkov, “Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s New Press Head is a Breath of Fresh Air,” Russia Beyond, August 28, 2015. https://www.rbth.com/politics/2015/08/28/russias_foreign_ministrys_new_press_head_is_a_breath_of_fresh_air_48819.html. Accessed March 26, 2019.
- 35.
Ilan Manor, “Is Russia Ruining Digital Diplomacy for the Rest of Us?” USC Center on Public Diplomacy, February 17, 2015. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/russia-ruining-digital-diplomacy-rest-us. Accessed March 26, 2019.
References
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Programmes. n.d. Diplomatic Academy of (the) Russian Foreign Ministry. http://www.dipacademy.ru/programmes/. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Putin, V. 2014, March 18. Transcript: Putin Says Russia Will Protect the Rights of Russians Abroad. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/transcript-putin-says-russia-will-protect-the-rights-of-russians-abroad/2014/03/18/432a1e60-ae99-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html?utm_term=.8dff07815a3d. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Saari, S. 2014. Russia’s Post-Orange Revolution Strategies to Increase Its Influence in Former Soviet Republics: Public Diplomacy “po russkii”. Europe-Asia Studies 66 (1): 50–66.
Structural Diagram of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. 2014. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. http://www.mid.ru/diverse/-/asset_publisher/8bWtTfQKqtaS/content/id/679878. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Surkov, N. 2015, August 28. Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s New Press Head Is a Breath of Fresh Air. Russia Beyond. https://www.rbth.com/politics/2015/08/28/russias_foreign_ministrys_new_press_head_is_a_breath_of_fresh_air_48819.html. Accessed March 26, 2019.
The 210th Anniversary of the Russian Foreign Office. 2012, September 7. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. http://www.mid.ru/en/about/social_organizations. Accessed March 29, 2019.
The Draft Budget: Defense Spending in Russia in 2016 Will Amount to 4% of GDP. 2015, October 24. Russia Today. https://ria.ru/economy/20151024/1307503105.html. Accessed March 26, 2019.
The Female Face of Russian Diplomacy. n.d. Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Krasnoyarsk. http://krsk.mid.ru/zensiny-v-diplomatii. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Zonova, T.V. 2007. Diplomatic Cultures: Comparing Russia and the West in Terms of a “Modern Model of Diplomacy”. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 2 (1): 1–23.
Acknowledgment
The authors wish to thank the following diplomats and scholars who were consulted in researching and writing this chapter: Vladislav Zubok, Michael Kimmage, and Irvin Studin.
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Terry, J., Reeves, Z., Suri, J. (2020). Russia. In: Hutchings, R., Suri, J. (eds) Modern Diplomacy in Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26933-3_7
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