Memoirs of a Russian Diplomat: Outposts of the Empire, 1893-1917 (Yale Russian and East European Studies, 10)

xv, 290 pp. The eve of the Russian Revolution is one of the most intriguing and significant phases of Russian history, yet it is imperfectly understood, largely because of the biases so noticeable in sources relating to this period. These memoirs, covering some three decades preceding the Russian Revolution, have the rare merit of scholarly objectivity. A man of many achievements--including knowledge of fourteen languages--Andrew D. Kalymkow was a learned student of the past as well as a keen observer of current events. In a captivating style he relates his life in Russia and his diplomatic service in the Far, Middle, and Near East and the Balkans. Mr. Kalmykow joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1893 and was assigned first to Persia. His observations during three years there shed new light on the background of the 1907 Anglo-Russian Entente. In 1898 he mediated a dispute between the Siamese and French governments, suggesting a plan for frontier settlement that lasted until World War II and helped to preserve the independence of Thailand. Kalmykow's numerous diplomatic achievements and adventures are recounted with wit and erudition, bringing to life a neglected era of Russian international history. Edited by Alexandra Kalmykow, daughter of Andrew D. Kalmykow.