RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS IN PARIS

MORKOV ARKADIY IVANOVICH (1747 - 1827) Count, diplomat

He graduated the Moscow university. In 1781 he has been nominated second minister to Hague, with special mission to promote England and Holland reconciliation, the war between which hardly influenced over the Russian foreign trade. Morkov didn't succeed to overcome the French influence and to execute his mission properly. Since 1783 Morkov had been the ambassador to Stockholm, where he, pursuing the aim to create difficulties to Gustave III in Swedish internal business, entered into the active relations with dissatisfied representatives of the nobility. In 1786 Morkov was assigned as a member of Foreign Affaires Board and soon has become the «right-hand» of Bezborodko, then of prince A. Zybov; at last he received the direct control over all foreign correspondence of Catherine II. In 1796 Morkov and his brothers received the title of the counts of Roman Empire from the Austrian emperor, but after accession to the throne Pavel I, Morkov has been discharged from the service and has received an order to go away from capital. Alexander I has nominated him in 1801 as Russian ambassador to Paris. On this post he behaved himself as a personal enemy of the First consul. In 1803 Bonapart has complained about him to the emperor Alexander, who had recalled Morkov, but rewarded him Andreevsky Ribbon (one of the highest signs of the Russian Empire). In 1820 Morkov had been named a member of the State Council.