| Ambassador of theRussian Federation to theRepublic of Rwanda | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Russian Foreign Ministry | |
since 14 June 2024 | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy of Russia in Kigali | |
| Style | Her Excellency The Honourable |
| Reports to | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | Kigali |
| Appointer | President of Russia |
| Term length | At the pleasure of the president |
| Website | Embassy of Russia in Kigali |
Theambassador of Russia to Rwanda is the official representative of thepresident and thegovernment of the Russian Federation to thepresident and thegovernment of Rwanda.
The ambassador and his staff work at large in theRussian embassy inKigali.[1] The current Russian ambassador to Rwanda isAlexander Polyakov, incumbent since 14 June 2024.[2]
Following a series of events, including theRwandan Revolution in 1959 and the1961 Rwandan monarchy referendum, culminating in a Rwandan declaration of independence in 1962, theSoviet Union moved to establish relations with the new state. The two countries agreed to exchange ambassadors on 17 October 1963, and the first Soviet ambassador to Rwanda,Yevgeny Afanasenko [ru], was appointed on 1 November 1966, andpresented his credentials on 4 January 1967.[3] With thedissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the incumbent Soviet ambassador,Pyotr Komendant, continued as a representative of theRussian Federation until 1994.[3]
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yevgeny Afanasenko [ru] | Ambassador | 1 November 1966 | 24 May 1972 | Presented credentials on 4 January 1967 |
| Grigory Zhilyakov [ru] | Ambassador | 2 June 1972 | 19 May 1978 | Presented credentials on 21 July 1972 |
| Gennady Rykov [ru] | Ambassador | 19 May 1978 | 17 November 1984 | Presented credentials on 7 June 1978 |
| Gennady Sokolov [ru] | Ambassador | 17 November 1984 | 23 August 1990 | Presented credentials on 8 January 1985 |
| Pyotr Komendant | Ambassador | 23 August 1990 | 25 December 1991 |
| Name | Title | Appointment | Termination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyotr Komendant | Ambassador | 25 December 1991 | 11 January 1994 | |
| Anatoly Smirnov [ru] | Ambassador | 11 January 1994 | 28 July 1998 | |
| Stanislav Akhmedov [ru] | Ambassador | 28 July 1998 | 17 September 2002 | |
| Aleksei Dulyan [ru] | Ambassador | 17 September 2002 | 20 December 2006 | |
| Mirgayas Shirinsky [ru] | Ambassador | 20 December 2006 | 22 May 2013 | |
| Andrei Polyakov | Ambassador | 22 May 2013 | 31 October 2017 | |
| Karen Chalyan [ru] | Ambassador | 14 March 2018 | 14 June 2024 | |
| Alexander Polyakov | Ambassador | 14 June 2024 |
