Konstantin Konstantinovich Provalov ( rus, Константин Константинович Провалов; 30 September 1949 – 9 April 2021) was a Soviet and Russian diplomat. He served in various diplomatic roles from 1973 onwards, and was
Ambassador of Russia to Estonia between 2000 and 2006.
Career
Provalov was born on 30 September 1949 in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, then part of the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
, in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
.
He studied at
, graduating in 1972 with a degree in International Relations, and entered diplomatic service. In addition to his native
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, he spoke
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national id ...
.
Provalov's early service was spent holding various diplomatic posts in
the Soviet, and later the
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MFA Russia; russian: Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации, МИД РФ) is the central government institution charged with lea ...
, and in the department's foreign missions and embassies abroad. His first posting, in 1972, was as an assistant in the Ministry's South Asia Department, and was followed by postings to Bangladesh and Myanmar.
He also spent an extended period in the apparatus of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
In the late 1980s he undertook further studies at the , graduating in 1989.
In 1996 Provalov became deputy director of the department of the Executive Secretariat, and deputy executive secretary of the Foreign Ministry. He held the position until April 1999, when he became deputy director of General Secretariat, and deputy secretary general of the Foreign Ministry.
He had been appointed to the
diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seati ...
of
Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Second Class on 9 July 1998. During this time he studied at
, graduating from its Higher Diplomatic Courses in 2000.
On 15 September 2000 Provalov was appointed
Russian ambassador to Estonia, holding the post until 25 July 2006. On his recall, he became director of the Ministry's Historical and Documentary Department, during which time he was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary First Class on 28 November 2007. He remained with the Historical Department until 2012, when he was appointed Russia's
consul general
A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
in
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. It is ...
, in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...
. This was his last foreign posting, which he held until 2015.
Provalov died on 9 April 2021.
Over his career he had received several awards and honours, including the Certificate of Honour of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the title of .
He was also awarded the
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of t ...
First Class by Estonia, announced on 18 August 2006 and presented on 22 August 2006.
His obituary by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described him as "distinguished by diligence, dedication, a responsible approach to business, and an attentive attitude towards others."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Provalov, Konstantin
1949 births
2021 deaths
Diplomats from Moscow
Ambassadors of Russia to Estonia
Moscow State Institute of International Relations alumni
Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation alumni
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class