Aleksandr Avdeyev (politician, born 1946)

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Aleksandr Alekseevich Avdeyev (born September 8, 1946, in Kremenchuk, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian diplomat and politician. He studied at MGIMO. He served as the Soviet ambassador to Luxembourg (1987–1990), the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria (1992–1996), and the Russian ambassador to France (2002–2008). He was Russia’s Minister of Culture from May 12, 2008, to May 7, 2012, under Presidents Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. From 2013 to 2023 he was the Russian ambassador to the Holy See and to the Sovereign Order of Malta.

As culture minister, Avdeyev oversaw major museum and theatre projects and promoted cultural exchanges, including discussions with France on a joint film academy. He spoke to the State Duma in 2011 about expanding protections for monuments and, in 2012, noted progress on remodeling the Pushkin Museum while raising concerns about funding for other museums. He also mentioned plans to build a Bulat Okudzhava museum. In 2013 he declared the Schneersohn Library Russia’s unalienable property and urged ignoring U.S. court decisions to return the collection. Avdeyev has received several awards, including the Order for Merit to the Fatherland, the Order of Honour, the Legion of Honour, and other honors.