Alexander Kadakin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Kadakin
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Kadakin (right) meeting Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh in New Delhi; March 2010.
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| Russian Ambassador to India | |
| In office 27 October 2009 – 26 January 2017 |
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| President | |
| Preceded by | Vyacheslav Trubnikov |
| Succeeded by | Nikolay Kudashev |
| In office 1999–2004 |
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| Russian Ambassador to Sweden | |
| In office 2004–2009 |
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| Russian Ambassador to Nepal | |
| In office 1993–1997 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 July 1949 Chișinău, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 26 January 2017 (aged 67) New Delhi, India |
| Alma mater | Moscow State Institute of International Relations |
Alexander Mikhailovich Kadakin (Russian: Александр Михайлович Кадакин; 22 July 1949 – 26 January 2017) was an important Russian diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. He served as the Russian Ambassador to India from 2009 until he passed away in 2017. He had also been the ambassador to India earlier, from 1999 to 2004. Kadakin was known as an Indophile, which means he deeply loved and admired India. He died in New Delhi in 2017. In 2018, he was given the Padma Bhushan, a high award from India.
His Diplomatic Journey
Alexander Kadakin was born in Chișinău, in what was then the Soviet Union, in 1949. He studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, a top school for diplomats. He graduated with high honors in 1972.
His career in diplomacy began in India in 1971. He started at the Soviet Embassy in India. Later, he worked in various roles for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kadakin also worked as a translator. He helped during Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev's visits to India in the 1970s.
From 1989 to 1992, he was a senior diplomat at the Russian Embassy in India. He then became the Russian ambassador to Nepal from 1992 to 1997. His first time as Russian ambassador to India was from 1999 to 2004. After that, he served as the Russian ambassador to Sweden from 2004 to 2009. He returned to India as ambassador for his second term in 2009. He received the Order of Friendship in 2016 and the Order of Honour in 2009 for his work.
Personal Interests
Besides Russian, Kadakin could speak many languages. He was fluent in Hindi, English, Urdu, Romanian, and French. He also loved Bollywood films. People often heard him humming classic Bollywood songs from the 1950s.
His Passing
Alexander Kadakin passed away from heart failure in a hospital in New Delhi on 26 January 2017. This day was also India's 68th Republic Day. He was supposed to attend the annual Republic Day parade that morning.
Kadakin served as Russia's ambassador to India for over 12 years in total. This made him the longest-serving Russian Ambassador to India. He was also the longest-serving ambassador to any country in the Indian subcontinent.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup shared his sadness. He said that India lost a good friend in Kadakin. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his condolences. He called Kadakin a "glorious son of Russia and a great friend of India."
Awards and Recognition
On 1 June 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a special honor for Kadakin. He said that a road in New Delhi would be named after him. The next day, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) officially named the Officers' Mess Road in Chanakyapuri as Alexander M Kadakin Marg. An NDMC official said that even though Kadakin was born in Russia, India was his "Karma-Bhoomi" (place of work and destiny).
In January 2018, Alexander Kadakin received another high honor. He was given the Padma Bhushan award after his death. This is India's third-highest civilian award. The President of India presented this award.
