Chicherin George Vasilyevich 
(12(24).11.1872–07.07.1936) 
 

Soviet diplomat. 
Born in the village of Karaul Kirsanovsky district of the Tambov province. His father, Vasily Nikolayevich Chicherin, although he did not hold major diplomatic posts, nevertheless, he served for 18 years in the Main Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, and in the Russian representative offices in Brazil, Germany, Italy, and France. Mother, Zhorzhina Egorovna Meyendorf, was related to well-known Russian diplomats. 
Since 1884  Chicherin studied at the gymnasium, first in Tambov, and then in St. Petersburg. In 1891 he entered the Faculty of History and Philology of St. Petersburg University, after which he followed in his father's footsteps, becoming in 1898 an employee of the State and St. Petersburg archives of the Foreign Ministry. He participated in the creation of the “Essay on the History of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia”, he worked mainly on the section on the history of the XIX century, when AM Gorchakov was the foreign minister. Acquaintance with archival documents, historical literature, memoirs of statesmen and diplomats of the XIX century helped him in further diplomatic activity. He wrote a monograph about Gorchakov. 
In early 1904  Chicherin went to Germany, was a member of the Russian Information Bureau. From 1907 in Paris, he collaborated with the newspapers of the Social Democratic movement and participated in the publication and distribution of the Russian-language newspaper "Moryak". 
At the beginning of the First World War, Chicherin moved to London, where he worked in many socialist and trade union press organizations. After February 1917, he became secretary of the Russian delegate commission, which facilitated the return of political immigrants to Russia, actively opposed the war, and in August of the same year the British authorities imprisoned him in solitary confinement at the Brixton prison for "anti-British activities". At the request of the Soviet government, on January 3, 1918, Chicherin was released and left for Russia on the same day. After the signing of the Brest Peace Treaty in March 1918, he was appointed Acting Commissar, and on May 30- Commissar. Chicherin's strength was his excellent education and knowledge of foreign languages, and his weakness was his “lack of command”. 
October 18, 1918 the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR on the organization of consulates was signed. At the initiative of Chicherin, a wide consular network was established in China, Iran and other countries, including on the territory of Russia in the form of so-called diplomatic agencies. Within the framework of the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty, the new Russia established diplomatic relations with Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. But only in Berlin there was an official diplomatic representation. The semi-official missions of Russia worked in Bern, London and Stockholm. With all the leaders of the first Soviet diplomatic missions, Chicherin kept regular correspondence, gave advice and instructions. 
After the end of the civil war, Chicherin set about organizing the work of the People's Commissariat in peace. Peace talks were held with the Baltic republics and Russia's eastern neighbors — Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey — and the first equal treaties were concluded with them. The Soviet delegation led by Chicherin participated in the first international economic conference after the war in Genoa. The decisions taken on it largely contributed to the successful restoration of the national economy of Soviet Russia. The famous Treaty of Rapallia was signed with Germany, signifying a breakthrough of the diplomatic and economic blockade. At the Lausanne Conference a draft peace treaty with Turkey was prepared and the regime of the Black Sea Straits was discussed. In 1925, the Soviet-Turkish non-aggression and neutrality treaty was signed in Paris, and in 1927 the same treaty with Iran and much more. 
Under Chicherin, Soviet diplomacy was distinguished by pragmatism, the priority of national interest, the search for coinciding positions with other states, the rejection of rhetoric and propaganda.  He played a leading role in bringing Russia out of international isolation, the offensive of diplomatic recognition of our country. 
The structure of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs formed under Chicherin existed with slight changes before World War II. 
Chicherin possessed a phenomenal memory and ability to foreign languages. He read and wrote fluently in the main European languages, he knew Latin, Hebrew, Hindi, Arabic. Secretary Chicherin Korotky said that in Poland and the Baltic countries "he made speeches in the language of the state in which he was located." Almost as a legend retells the case when he gave a speech in French in Genoa and immediately brilliantly translated it into English. They also recall that George Vasilyevich signed with the German Minister Rathenau the Rapall Treaty in German without the Russian translation. A brilliant, encyclopedic knowledge of Chicherin in all areas, his highest intelligence entered the history of Russian and international diplomacy. 
Much has changed for Chicherin after 1922. The heirs of Lenin began a fierce struggle for leadership and power in the party and the state. Deputy Chicherina M.M. Litvinov was able to correctly assess the balance of power and supported Stalin. “Beginning in 1923, a bitter struggle with Chicherin”, wrote Besedovsky, “Litvinov waged this struggle without hesitating in means. He openly criticized Chicherin before the officials of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, canceled his orders, crossed out his orders on official reports and put his own. The entire apparatus of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs took part in this struggle, divided into two groups: “Chicherins” and “Litvinovtsy”, and both groups fought, worrying very little about the interests of the work”.  
In September 1928  Chicherin went abroad for treatment. He was still a people's commissar, met with German politicians, but he already knew that he would not return to work. On July 21, 1930  the Presidium of the USSR CEC satisfied Chicherin’s request and relieved him of his duties as Commissar. 
A significant role in the life of an outstanding diplomat was played by journalism. The Brest Peace, the Civil War and the Intervention, the Genoese Conference and the Locarno Conference, relations with the countries of the East - these and many other events became the subject of Chicherin journalist's research. George Vasilyevich loved and understood music. He belongs to an interesting study of the work of Mozart. 
The hard work over the years has finally affected his health. 
He died in Moscow, buried in the Novodevichy cemetery. 
Foreland and lagoon off the north coast of Wrangel Island. Foreland was discovered and named on October 13, 1926 by G.A. Ushakov.