On Monday, a day before his 65th birthday, an outstanding Russian diplomat Vitaly Churkin unexpectedly died in New York. For more than 10 years, all over the world, he was seen as the representative of Russia in the United Nations and the UN Security Council.
The entire Russian diplomatic corps, including the diplomatic mission in the United States, are shocked by the news. Everyone knew Vitaly Churkin personally and often met with him. There were people who disagreed with him, like many of his colleagues, but there was no one who didn’t love him. As an experienced diplomat and representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he worked in various positions, but he is especially remembered for his work as a permanent representative of Russia in the UN Security Council.
His career began in 1974 when he graduated from MGIMO, which accepted him at the first attempt. Then, he worked in Geneva as a translator, later — as a third secretary in the US Department of USSR's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then, he went to work to the US, where he served as a third and second secretary of the embassy. Later, he held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
His colleagues from the 90s remember him as a man who began holding direct public briefings for the first time in the history of Soviet and Russian diplomacy, during which he, speaking good English, answered the questions of foreign journalists. Before Churkin, no one did this in Moscow, and it was an innovation and a breakthrough at the time.
Of course, in the Security Council, he is remembered as a bright and inimitable orator, who could figuratively but pointedly maintain the position of Russia, which he had to do more than once. In particular, in the most critical moments of the diplomatic deadlock in August 2008, after Georgia attacked South Ossetia, and during the Crimean events. He had different counterparts, with the permanent representatives of the USA being the most bright and irreconcilable ones, Samantha Power has recently been replaced by Nicky Haley, but Churkin was always convincing and could always nicely, cleverly, convincingly point out the errors of the opponents and rightness of the position of Russia.
In particular, recently, the Deputy Secretary General of the UN was quoting verses of a Scottish poet about violent relationships and people disliking each other. This is what Vitaly Churkin said to this Deputy Secretary General, who decided to quote verses in the Security Council building: "If we needed a preaching, we would go to church. If we wanted to hear poetry, we would go to theater. When the UN Secretariat managers are invited to attend the Security Council meeting, they are expected to present an objective analysis of the situation. You clearly didn’t manage to do this".
Churkin himself was successful in almost everything. He was able to convince, he knew how to stand out. He could still be humane in all senses. Despite all the diplomatic battles that took place in the Security Council, he never descended to abusive language and swearing, he was always professional, he was always humane. This is how he will be remembered.
Maria Zakharova has just posted in her social network profile. She called Vitaly Churkin a great diplomat and an extraordinary and bright person. "We have lost a loved one," — wrote Maria Zakharova.
