Eleonora Mitrofanova
{{Short description|Russian politician and diplomat}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Eleonora Mitrofanova
| image = Eleonora Mitrofanova 2010 Moscow Unesco.jpg
| office = Ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria
| term_start = 15 January 2021
| term_end =
| predecessor = Anatoly Makarov
| office1 = Head of Rossotrudnichestvo
| term_start1 = 19 December 2017
| term_end1 = 25 June 2020
| predecessor1 = Lyubov Glebova
| successor1 = Yevgeny Primakov Jr.
| office2 = Permanent Delegate of Russia to UNESCO
| term_start2 = 29 January 2009
| term_end2 = 19 September 2016
| predecessor2 = Vladimir Kalamanov
| successor2 = Alexandre Kouznetsov{{Cite web|url=http://russianunesco.ru/fr/postpred.html|title=Délégation permanente de la Fédération de Russie auprès de l'Unesco|website=russianunesco.ru}}
| office3 = Head of Roszarubezhcenter
| term_start3 = August 2004
| term_end3 = 17 October 2008
| predecessor3 = Valentina Tereshkova
| successor3 = Farit Mukhametshin
(as head of Rossotrudnichestvo)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1953|6|11}}
| birth_place = Stalingrad, RSFSR, Soviet Union
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party =
| spouse = Vladimir Tyrtychnikov
| children = Maria, Andrei, Fiodor
| alma_mater = Moscow State Institute of
International Relations
| website =
| signature =
| honorific_prefix =
| native_name_lang = ru
| native_name = {{nobold|Элеонора Митрофанова}}
| caption = Mitrofanova in 2010
}}
Eleonora Valentinovna Mitrofanova ({{langx|ru|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, specializing in International economics.
=Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2003-2009)=
In May 2003, President Vladimir Putin appointed Mitrofanova by decree{{Cite web|url=http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/28691|title=Президент своим Указом назначил Элеонору Митрофанову первым заместителем Министра иностранных дел|website=Президент России}} to the post of 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 to UNESCO.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
=Ambassador to Bulgaria (2021-present)=
On 15 January 2021, she was appointed Ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria.{{cite web|title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 15.01.2021 № 24 "О Чрезвычайном и Полномочном После Российской Федерации в Республике Болгарии"|url=http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001202101150004|date=15 January 2021 |access-date=2 April 2021}}
As a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Russian government's response to it in Bulgaria, in late March 2022, Mitrofanova was criticized for making "undiplomatic, sharp and rude" statements against the Bulgarian government and its citizens.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-25 |title=Bulgaria to recall its ambassador to Russia for consultations |url=https://www.euronews.com/2022/03/25/us-ukraine-crisis-bulgaria-russia |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=euronews |language=en}}
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 to Heroes Of Ukraine Lane, and a neighboring alley to Boris Nemtsov Lane, in commemoration of the infamously slain Russian opposition figure.{{Cite web |title=The Russian Ambassador in Bulgaria was not pleased with the name changes around the Embassy - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency |url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/214641/The+Russian+Ambassador+in+Bulgaria+was+not+pleased+with+the+name+changes+around+the+Embassy |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=www.novinite.com}}
In the wake of such controversies, there have been widespread talks about declaring Mitrofanova persona-non-grata, due to the abrasive, disrespectful and undiplomatic way in which she has addressed the Bulgarian government and citizens.{{cite web |last= Бедров |first= Иван |date= 2022-03-04 |title=Ще остане ли в България Елеонора Митрофанова |trans-title= Will Eleonora Mitrofanova stay in Bulgaria? |url=https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/a/31735902.html |language=bg |work= Свободна Европа |access-date=2022-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305090825/https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/a/31735902.html |archive-date=2022-03-05 |url-status=live}}
In the evening of June 27, 2022 the Russian embassy in Sofia launched a charity appeal for Bulgarians to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite news |title=Moscow’s Embassy in Bulgaria Launches Fundraiser for Russian Troops |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/06/28/moscows-embassy-in-bulgaria-launches-fundraiser-for-russian-troops/ |publisher=Balkan Insight |date=28 June 2022}} One day later, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats over concerns of espionage.{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Christian |date=28 June 2022 |title=Bulgaria expels 70 Russian diplomats and spies |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/kiril-petkov-bulgaria-expels-70-russian-diplomats-and-spies/ |access-date=30 June 2022 |website=Politico}} The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Bulgaria would be temporarily closing down its diplomatic mission in Yekaterinburg and expected Russia to temporarily halt the activities of its own mission in Ruse, Bulgaria.{{Cite web |last=Tsolova |first=Tsvetelia |date=28 June 2022 |title=Bulgaria expels 70 Russian diplomatic staff over espionage concerns |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/bulgaria-expels-70-russian-diplomatic-staff-over-espionage-concerns-2022-06-28/ |access-date=30 June 2022 |website=Reuters}} All services of the Russian embassy were halted, and Bulgaria stipulated that from that point on, Russia must follow the official standard of limiting their numbers to 23 diplomatic staff and 25 administrative staff.{{cite news |last1=Todorov |first1=Svetoslav |title=Russian Embassy’s Work Frozen After Bulgaria Expels 70 Diplomats |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/06/29/russian-embassys-work-frozen-after-bulgaria-expels-70-diplomats/ |publisher=Balkan Insight |date=29 June 2022}}
On April 20, 2023, Mitrofanova violated Article 41 of the Vienna Convention by publicly expressing her support for a particular Bulgarian political party.{{Cite web |last=Nikolov |first=Krassen |date=2023-04-21 |title=Russian ambassador interferes in Bulgarian elections |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/russian-ambassador-interferes-in-bulgarian-elections/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=www.euractiv.com |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
She is married and is the mother of three children. Her brother Alexei Mitrofanov is a politician and former MP. Besides Russian, she is fluent in English, Spanish and French.
Decorations
- Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (2008)
- Order of Friendship (2003){{Cite web|url=http://kremlin.ru/acts/bank/19374|title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 11.04.2003 г. № 416|website=Президент России}}
- Order of Honour (2013){{Cite web|url=http://kremlin.ru/acts/bank/37615/print|title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 13.09.2013 г. № 718|website=kremlin.ru}}[https://ria.ru/world/20140421/1004848169.html Лавров вручил представителю РФ при ЮНЕСКО Митрофановой орден Почета, РИА Новости. 21.04.2014]
- Olympia National Award (2003){{Cite web|url=http://ex.ru/|title=Главная | Российская академия бизнеса и предпринимательства|website=ex.ru}}
- Order of Douslyk (Tatarstan, 2017)[http://www.tatar-inform.ru/news/2017/02/01/537722/ Элеоноре Митрофановой вручен орден «Дуслык»]
- Order of the Holy Queen of Milica (Serbian Orthodox Church, 2018){{Cite web|url=https://ruskidom.rs/2018/07/05/%d0%b2%d1%8b%d1%81%d0%be%d0%ba%d0%b0%d1%8f-%d1%86%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%8f-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d0%b3%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b4%d0%b0-%d1%8d%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%be%d0%bd%d0%be%d1%80%d0%b5-%d0%bc%d0%b8%d1%82%d1%80%d0%be%d1%84%d0%b0%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%be%d0%b9/|title=Высокая церковная награда — Элеоноре Митрофановой|access-date=2021-05-21|archive-date=2018-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716165545/https://ruskidom.rs/2018/07/05/%d0%b2%d1%8b%d1%81%d0%be%d0%ba%d0%b0%d1%8f-%d1%86%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%8f-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d0%b3%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b4%d0%b0-%d1%8d%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%be%d0%bd%d0%be%d1%80%d0%b5-%d0%bc%d0%b8%d1%82%d1%80%d0%be%d1%84%d0%b0%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%be%d0%b9/|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{commons category-inline}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitrofanova, Eleonora}}
Category:Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Russian Federation)
Category:Permanent delegates of Russia to UNESCO
Category:Ambassadors of Russia to Bulgaria
Category:Russian women diplomats
Category:First convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation)