Vladimir Fedorovich Petrovsky ( rus, Влади́мир Фёдорович Петро́вский, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr ˈfʲɵdərəvʲɪtɕ pɪˈtrovskʲɪj; 29 April 1933, Stalingrad – 21 February 2014) was a Soviet/Russian diplomat, Ambassador, professor in history, politician and writer.
He served as Deputy Foreign Minister of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
United Nations Office at Geneva
The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG, french: Office des Nations Unies à Genève) in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNO ...
. During this time he was also Secretary-General of the Conference for Disarmament. After his retirement from the United Nations V. Petrovsky established the non-governmental organization Comprehensive Dialogue Among Civilizations CDAC .
Vladimir Petrovsky died on 21 February 2014 after a long illness. Mira Petrovsky, his wife lives in Moscow, together with their daughter Lena.
Biography
Public service
1957–1961:
* Attache, Permanent Mission of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
to the United Nations, New York
1961–1964:
* Second Secretary, Office of the Foreign Minister of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
1964–1971:
* Political Affairs Officer, Chief of Unit,
United Nations Secretariat
The United Nations Secretariat (french: link=no, Secrétariat des Nations unies) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), The secretariat is the UN's executive arm. The secretariat has an important role in setting the a ...
, New York
1971–1979:
* Chief Counselor, Head of American Division of the Policy Planning Department, Foreign Ministry of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
1972–1975:
* Secretary-General of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
Delegation to the
CSCE CSCE may refer to
* China State Construction Engineering
* Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange which merged to form the New York Board of Trade
* Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
* Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe whic ...
, Geneva
1979–1986:
* Head of International Organizations' Department, Foreign Ministry of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
Member of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
Foreign Ministry's Collegium
1986–1991:
* Deputy Foreign Minister of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
* Head of
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
Delegations to the United Nations General Assembly,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
,
IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 195 ...
,
UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on ...
, and various European fora, including the
CSCE CSCE may refer to
* China State Construction Engineering
* Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange which merged to form the New York Board of Trade
* Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
* Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe whic ...
1991:
* First Deputy Foreign Minister of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
* Executive Secretary of the
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
Conference on the Human Dimension
1992:
* Representative of Russia to the
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
Council of Cooperation
1992–1993:
* Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations, New York
* Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Libya
1998:
* Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Libya
* Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
1993–2002:
* Under-Secretary-General, Director-General of the United Nations Office at
* Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament
* Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Conference on Disarmament
2002–2010:
* Senior Research Fellow,
UNITAR
The one stringed guitar, also known as a Unitar is a somewhat less known version of the standard electric guitar. Although rare, the one-string guitar is sometimes heard, particularly in Delta blues, where improvised folk instruments were popula ...
, Geneva
* Consultant to the Russian Council of Federation, Moscow
* Head of the Center for Politico-Diplomatic, Intercultural and Inter-religious Dialogue, Institute of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
,
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across ...
, Moscow
* Chairman of the NGO Association 'Comprehensive Dialogue Among Civilizations' (CDaC),
* Chairman of Maecenas World Patrimony Foundation, Geneva
* Member of the Board International Dialogues Foundation IDF, The Hague
* Member of the Board Museum Geelvinck, Amsterdam
Formal education
Doctorate in History, Institute of international Relations and World Economy, 1975
LL.D,
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 ...
, 1962
MA,
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 ...
, 1957
Foreign Ministry of the Former Soviet Union
Cuban Missile Crisis
During October 1962 Vladimir Petrovsky worked in the office of Foreign Minister
Andrey Gromyko
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (russian: Андрей Андреевич Громыко; be, Андрэй Андрэевіч Грамыка; – 2 July 1989) was a Soviet communist politician and diplomat during the Cold War. He served as ...
. There were long periods of non-stop work in the Foreign Ministry building on Smolenskaya Square in Moscow to attend emergency meetings and action groups to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis. On 27 October 1962 the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared a positive response to the US request for the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
in exchange for US government's assurances on compliance with the territorial integrity of the island. Vladimir Petrovsky later analyzed this intense period in his memoirs.
The Helsinki Final Act
Vladimir Petrovsky was strongly involved in researching and drafting all the details of the Soviet delegation's position towards the Helsinki Process followed by the
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
Final Act (The
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
Accords). It was signed during July and 1 August 1975 and became at the time a declaration of attempt to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West. The
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
).
Perestroika
Before announcing Perestroika in 1987, the Soviet government had done a multi-level research and analytical work accomplished by both the political and academical elite. In 1986 Vladimir Petrovsky was appointment as Deputy Foreign Minister of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
and received the task to help promote the process later known as glasnost (openness) with an assignment to supervise the Press Department, while being also in charge of other areas in the Foreign Ministry. Vladimir Petrovsky was among the specialists of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that were chosen to formulate the progressive concepts for the framework of the New Political Thinking. In 1988 Vladimir Petrovsky was part of the task force preparing the draft for the landmark address that Soviet General Secretary
Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Comm ...
gave at the
UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Cur ...
on 6 December 1988.
The United Nations
In February 1992 Vladimir Petrovsky was appointed as the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and soon become chairman of the drafting committee for the 'Agenda for Peace". He served in this position until March 1993 when he was appointed to become Director-General of the UN Office in
. He strongly promoted better cooperation among the different UN agencies as well as with regional organisations and the host country Switzerland.
Disarmament
Throughout his long diplomatic career Vladimir Petrovsky strongly stressed the essential role that disarmament should play in the comprehensive approach to security in the world. In 1978, he became a member of the Soviet delegation to the First Special Session of the UN General Assembly on
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as ...
. He was involved in working out the details of the multilateral machinery for disarmament and the rules for the Conference on Disarmament (CD). In 1979, after the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
the only possibility to communicate with the West on the diplomatic level were consultations on nuclear weapons nonproliferation. In 1993, Vladimir Petrovsky became the Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in
, the organization for which he had helped to develop the rules of conduct earlier in 1978. Under his chairmanship the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva was able to negotiate the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, signed in 1996. He remained in the position of CD's Secretary-General until his retirement from the United Nations in 2002.
NGO – Comprehensive Dialogue among Civilizations
During his work at the United Nations, Vladimir Petrovsky promoted dialogue in all aspects, organizing a wide spectrum of events such as masterclasses, art and photo exhibitions and musical performances at the Palais des Nations. Encouraged by this work at the UN, Petrovsky founded the non-governmental organization – Comprehensive Dialogue Among Civilizations (CDAC) upon his retirement from the UN in 2002. The uniqueness of the organisation was the multifaceted approach to dialogue. His last publication "The Triad of Strategic Security of the Global Community" (2007), fell into this period.
After his passing in 2014, the book "Vladimir Petrovsky: The Master Diplomat” was published in 2015, highlighting his political vision and his major achievements in the field of political and public service.
Vladimir Petrovsky and art
''“The state of the nation, its sense of beauty and its humour, its dreams and its history – everything is reflected in its art. I hope that this exhibition at the Palais des Nations will help many people who are coming here from all over the world to better understand Russian culture and the so-called mysterious "Russian soul".''
''Vladimir Petrovsky’s Welcome address to the art exhibit "Russian Collection in the Palais des Nations" 9.06.1997''
Vladimir Petrovsky had been introduced to
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...
, was in frequent contact with famous sculptors and artists such as
Ernst Neizvestny
Ernst Iosifovich Neizvestny (russian: Эрнст Ио́сифович Неизве́стный; 9 April 1925 – 9 August 2016) was a Russian sculptor, painter, graphic artist, and art philosopher. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1976 and lived and ...
, Michail Chemyakin, Michail and Vita Romadin and Leonid Sokov.
Under his aegis the World Patrimony Foundation was established, which restored the Henrik Sørensen wallpainting "Le Rêve de la Paix" in the Library of the Palais des Nations and Marc Chagall's "Peace Window" in the Hall of the United Nations Office in New York.
He also entertained a close friendship for many years with artist and spiritual leader
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
in Multilateral Diplomacy, 1980
*Disarmament: Concept, Problems and Mechanisms, 1983
*Security in the Era of Nuclear and Outer Space Technology, 1985
*The Triad of Strategic Security of the Global Community, 2007
*Vladimir Petrovsky: The Master-Diplomat, 2015