List of ambassadors of Russia to Colombia

The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Russia to Colombia is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of Colombia.

The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Embassy of Russia in Bogotá.^[1] The post of Russian ambassador to Colombia is currently held by Nikolai Tavdumadze, incumbent since 5 October 2020.^[2]

Diplomatic relations between the forerunner states of the modern countries of Russia and Colombia date back to the mid-nineteenth century. Relations were first formalized through an exchange of diplomatic messages between Emperor Alexander II, and the president of the Republic of New Granada, Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, in 1858.^[3] Relations were restored between what was by then the Soviet Union and the Republic of Colombia on 25 June 1935.^[3] It was however not until February 1943, that a diplomatic mission was opened, and 21 October 1943, that the first envoy, Grigory Rezanov, was appointed.^[4][5] Relations were interrupted following the Bogotazo, an outbreak of political violence, in April 1948. The Colombian government broke off relations with the Soviet Union as a result. They were only restored on 19 January 1968, with Nikolai Belous appointed ambassador on 11 March 1968.^[3][4][6] Ambassadors were then exchanged for the remainder of the existence of the Soviet Union.^[4][6]

Diplomatic relations were established between the Soviet Union and Suriname on 25 November 1975. Relations were initially handled through the Soviet embassy in Colombia, with the incumbent ambassador to Colombia, Vladimir Andreyev, given dual accreditation as the non-resident ambassador to Suriname from 29 November 1976.^[7] This practice continued with Andreyev's successor, Leonid Romanov, and lasted until the opening of the embassy in Paramaribo on 27 October 1981, and the appointment of Igor Bubnov as the first ambassador accredited solely to Suriname from 22 July 1982.^[7]

Representation continued through the late twentieth century. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Colombia recognized the Russian Federation as its successor state on 27 December 1991.^[3] The incumbent Soviet ambassador, Igor Bubnov, continued as the Russian ambassador until 1992.^[6]