Eleonora Valentinovna Mitrofanova (russian: Элеонора Валентиновна Митрофанова; born 11 June 1953) is a Russian diplomat. She currently serves as the Ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria, having held the post since 15 January 2021. She is the first woman to hold the post of First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Career

Mitrofanova is a graduate of the

Moscow State Institute of International Relations Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (russian: Московский государственный институт международных отношений (МГИМО), also known as MGIMO University) is an institute of ...

, specializing in International economics.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2003-2009)

In May 2003, President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

appointed Mitrofanova by decree to the post of the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. After the abolition of the Russian Ministry of Affairs of Federation and Nationalities her mandate included also the activities of the Roszaroubezhcentre of the MFA.

Ambassador-at-large to UNESCO (2009-2016)

She was previously ambassador-at-large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a Permanent Delegate of to UNESCO.

Ambassador to Bulgaria (2021-present)

On 15 January 2021 she was appointed Ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria. As a result of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

and the Russian government's response to it in Bulgaria, in late March 2022, Mitrofonova was criticized for making "undiplomatic, sharp and rude" statements against the Bulgarian government and its citizens. In April 2022, Mitrofanova proceeded to harshly criticize an initiative of the Bulgarian citizens and government to rename the alley in front of the Russian Embassy as 'Heroes Of Ukraine' Lane, and a neighboring alley to be renamed to

Boris Nemtsov Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov ( rus, Бори́с Ефи́мович Немцо́в, p=bɐˈrʲis jɪˈfʲiməvʲɪtɕ nʲɪmˈtsof; 9 October 195927 February 2015) was a Russian physicist and liberal politician. He was involved in the introduction ...

Lane, in commemoration of the infamously slain Russian opposition figure. As a result of the controversies, there have been widespread talks about declaring Mitrofanova as persona-non-grata, due to the abrasive, disrespectful and undiplomatic nature in which she has addressed the Bulgarian government and citizens. In the evening of 27 June the Russian embassy in Sofia launched a charity appeal for Bulgarians to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One day later, Petkov announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats over concerns of espionage. The

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

announced that Bulgaria would be temporarily closing down its diplomatic mission in

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...

and expected Russia to temporarily halt the activities of its own mission in

Ruse, Bulgaria Ruse (also transliterated as Rousse, Russe; bg, Русе ) is the fifth largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, approximately south of ...

. All services of the Russian embassy were halted, and Bulgaria stipulated that Russia must follow from thenceforth the official standard of limiting their numbers to 23 diplomatic staff and 25 administrative staff.

Personal life

She is married and is the mother of three children. Her brother Alexei Mitrofanov is a politician and former MP. Outside of Russian, she is fluent in English, Spanish and French.

Decorations

Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (russian: Медаль ордена «За заслуги перед Отечеством») was established on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree No.442. Its award criteria were modified on 6 J ...

(2008) *

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds a ...

(2003) * Order of Honour (2013) * Olympia National Award (2003) * Order of Douslyk (

Tatarstan The Republic of Tatarstan (russian: Республика Татарстан, Respublika Tatarstan, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə tətɐrˈstan; tt-Cyrl, Татарстан Республикасы), or simply Tatarstan (russian: Татарстан, tt ...

, 2017) * Order of the Holy Queen of Milica (

Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...

, 2018)

References

External link

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitrofanova, Eleonora 1953 births Living people Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Russian Federation) Permanent Delegates of Russia to UNESCO Ambassadors of Russia to Bulgaria Russian women diplomats Women ambassadors First convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation)