List of ambassadors of Russia to Latvia
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Ambassador
| body = the Russian Federation to the Republic of Latvia
| image =
| incumbent = vacant
| insignia = MID emblem.png
| incumbentsince = 31 March 2023
| department = Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Embassy of Russia in Riga
| style = His Excellency
The Honourable
| reports_to = Minister of Foreign Affairs
| seat = Riga
| appointer = President of Russia
| termlength = At the pleasure of the president
| first =
| formation =
| website = [http://www.latvia.mid.ru/rus.html Embassy of Russia in Latvia]
| insigniacaption = Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry
| unofficial_names =
| native_name =
| residence =
}}
The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Latvia is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of Latvia.
Before the downgrade of diplomatic relations between Russia and Latvia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ambassador and his staff used to work at large in the Embassy of Russia in Riga.{{cite web|url=http://www.latvia.mid.ru/rus.html|title=Посольство Российской Федерации в Латвийской Республике |language=Russian|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|accessdate=25 October 2019}} There were consulates general in Daugavpils and Liepāja.{{cite web|url=https://daugavpils.mid.ru/|title=Генеральное консульство Российской Федерации в Даугавпилсе|language=Russian|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|accessdate=25 October 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://liepaja.mid.ru/|title=Генеральное консульство Российской Федерации в Лиепае (Латвия)|language=Russian|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|accessdate=25 October 2019}}
In 2022, the Latvian government closed the two Russian consulates{{Cite news |title=Latvia and Estonia close Russian consulates, expel staff |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/latvia-closes-two-russian-consulates-expels-staff-2022-04-05/|work=Reuters |date=5 April 2022}} and in 2023 the Russian ambassador to Latvia was expelled.
History of diplomatic relations
{{main|Latvia–Russia relations}}
The territory occupied by Latvia had been part of the Russian Empire since the eighteenth century. In the aftermath of the First World War and the collapse of the empire following the Russian Revolution in 1917, Latvia declared independence on 18 November 1918. Diplomatic relations were established between Latvia and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to Latvia on 11 August 1920, and Yakov Ganetsky was appointed the first Plenipotentiary representative on 31 August that year.{{cite web|script-title=ru:Полномочное представительство РСФСР - СССР в Латвии|publisher=Справочник по истории Коммунистической партии и Советского Союза 1898 - 1991|url=http://www.knowbysight.info/6_MID/00339.asp|accessdate=25 October 2019|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207205729/http://www.knowbysight.info/6_MID/00339.asp|archive-date=7 December 2018|url-status=dead}} Representation continued until the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, after which Latvia was de facto part of the USSR for the remainder of the existence of the Soviet Union, with the exception of a period of occupation by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1944 during the Second World War. Soviet forces re-occupied Latvia in 1944, after which Latvia became a constituent part of the Soviet Union as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.
As part of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Latvia's secession was recognized by the State Council of the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Diplomatic relations with Russia were established on 4 October 1991.{{cite web|url=http://www.latvia.mid.ru/ruslat_01.html|title=Российско-латвийские двусторонние отношения|language=Russian|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|accessdate=25 October 2019}}
Following growing diplomatic tensions in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Latvian government expelled the Russian ambassador to Latvia and downgraded diplomatic relations between the countries.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-23 |title=Estonia and Latvia remove Russian ambassadors as tensions rise |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/estonia-latvia-russia-remove-european-union-tensions-moscow/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}}
List of representatives (1920–present)
=Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to Latvia (1920–1923)=
| class="wikitable" |
| valign="middle"
!Name !Title !Appointment !Termination !Notes |
| Yakov Ganetsky
|Plenipotentiary representative |31 August 1920 |7 December 1921 | |
| Konstantin Yurenev
|Plenipotentiary representative |1 February 1922 |14 February 1923 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Adam Semashko|ru|Семашко, Адам Яковлевич}}
|1923 |1923 | |
| Semyon Aralov
|Plenipotentiary representative |28 May 1923 |23 July 1923 | |
=Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to Latvia (1923–1940)=
| class="wikitable" |
| valign="middle"
!Name !Title !Appointment !Termination !Notes |
| Semyon Aralov
|Plenipotentiary representative |23 July 1923 |21 March 1925 | |
| Kazimir Krzheminsky
|1924 |1924 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Aleksandr Gambarov|ru|Гамбаров, Александр Григорьевич}}
|1925 |1925 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Aleksey Chernykh|ru|Черных, Алексей Сергеевич}}
|Plenipotentiary representative |9 July 1925 |24 February 1927 | |
| Sigizmund Borkusevich
|1926 |1926 | |
| Ivan Lorents
|Plenipotentiary representative |24 February 1927 |14 September 1929 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Aleksey Svidersky|ru|Свидерский, Алексей Иванович}}
|Plenipotentiary representative |14 September 1929 |10 May 1933 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Stefan Bratman-Brodovsky|ru|Братман-Бродовский, Стефан Иоахимович}}
|Plenipotentiary representative |10 October 1933 |25 October 1937 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Ivan Zotov|ru|Зотов, Иван Степанович}}
|Plenipotentiary representative |1 November 1937 |6 April 1940 | |
| {{interlanguage link|Vladimir Derevyansky|ru|Деревянский, Владимир Константинович}}
|Plenipotentiary representative |7 April 1940 |10 October 1940 | |