Consulate history

History Of the Consulate General Of the Russian Federation in Shenyang

The Consulate General was esteblished on May 7, 1991 by agreement between the government of the USSR and the the government of the People's Republic of China (in the form of an exchange of notes) of September 25, 1990. The opening ceremony of the Consulate General was attended by the Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs of the USSR Boris Chaplin, as well as official representatives of the provincial governments. Previously, the Consulate General of the USSR operated in Shenyang (Manchu name — Mukden) in 1924-1929, 1930-1936, 1957-1959.

The first diplomats arrived in Shenyang on December 27, 1990. The Consulate General order No.1 of 03.01.1991 was about their arrival and the start of work. On January 31, 1991Consul-adviser to the Consulate General in Shanghai Alexander Nikitin became the first Consul General in Shenyang. Despite the fact that there was no official opening yet, consuls immediately began to exercise representative functions, on February 23, 1991, laying wreaths at the monument to Soviet tankers at the Shenyang Central station.

Over the years, the Consulate General has employed more than 50 diplomats.

The consular district includes the North-Eastern provinces of China Jilin and Liaoning. In 2019, Heilongjiang province became part of the consular district of the newly opened Consulate General in Harbin.

History of the Consulate General building

Initially, the Consulate General was located on the top two floors of the Phoenix hotel, which were vacant after the Japanese Consulate General moved out. The Soviet flag was not displayed outside the building, but was located on the tenth floor next to the duty station.

The Consulate opening coincided with a difficult period in the work of the foreign Ministry — the collapse of the USSR. In mid-August 1991, Consul General Alexander Nikitin was in Beijing, and after the end of the events that became known as the" August putsch", he ordered by phone to hang a Russian flag instead of the Soviet one. The flag was urgently made at one of The Shenyang garment enterprises.

In 2000, the Liaoning authorities came to the decision to accommodate foreign countries consulates in Nanshisanweilu street. Previously the Hunnan district options were rejected due to the distance from the city center, which was inconvenient for both employees and visitors.

At the end of 2001, thanks to the great efforts of Consul General Igor Uritsky, the Consulate General was moved to a separate building with its own territory. In August 2005, an additional four-story building was commissioned on the territory of the Consulate General.

Currently, the issue of selecting a site in the newly formed consular town in the South of Shenyang and construction its own Consulate General building there is being discussed.