Vitaly Churkin

Vitaly Churkin
Виталий Чуркин
Churkin in 2015
Ambassador of Russia to the United Nations
In office 1 May 2006 – 20 February 2017
President	Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Putin
Preceded by	Andrey Denisov
Succeeded by	Vasily Nebenzya
Ambassador of Russia to Canada
In office 23 August 1998 – 5 June 2003
President	Boris Yeltsin Vladimir Putin
Preceded by	Alexander Belonogov
Succeeded by	Georgiy Mamedov
Ambassador of Russia to Belgium
In office 3 October 1994 – 25 February 1998
President	Boris Yeltsin
Preceded by	Sergey Kislyak
Succeeded by	Nikolay Afanasevsky
Personal details
Born	Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin (1952-02-21)21 February 1952 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	20 February 2017(2017-02-20) (aged 64) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Moscow State Institute of International Relations Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union
Awards	Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" Order of Courage Order of Honour Order of the Serbian Flag

Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin (Russian: Виталий Иванович Чуркин, IPA: [vʲɪˈtalʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕurkʲɪn]; 21 February 1952 – 20 February 2017) was a Russian diplomat.^[1] As a child actor, he starred in three films The Blue Notebook, Nol tri, and A Mother's Heart.^[2] Churkin served as Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2006 until his death in 2017.

Previously he was Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2003–2006), Ambassador to Canada (1998–2003), Ambassador to Belgium and Liaison Ambassador to NATO and WEU (1994–1998), Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the talks on Former Yugoslavia (1992–1994), Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR/Russian Federation (1990–1992). Churkin was fluent in English, French and Mongolian.