Soviet Middle East diplomat who witnessed the 1973 war and the Iranian Revolution from inside
In June 1979, Khomeini summoned Vinogradov and warned him directly: "We are watching what you are doing to the Muslims of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union is hostile to Islam."
A Soviet diplomat who rose from trade postings to become a central figure in Brezhnev-era Middle East diplomacy. As ambassador to Egypt (1970–1974), he managed Moscow's relationship through the transition from Nasser to Sadat and coordinated the Soviet response during the October 1973 war. Transferred to Tehran in 1977, he witnessed the collapse of the Pahlavi monarchy and the Islamic Revolution, navigating tense exchanges with Khomeini over Afghanistan and Soviet regional ambitions. He later served eight years as Foreign Minister of the RSFSR (1982–1990), sustaining the institutional continuity of Soviet diplomacy, and after retirement chaired the Russian committee for Arab-Israeli settlement.
Career Timeline
- 1939–1943Active service, Red Army
- 1948–1950Head of Department, USSR Trade Mission, UK
- 1950–1952Deputy Trade Representative, USSR, UK
- 1952–1956Deputy Chief, Western Countries Trade Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Trade
- 1956–1962Chief, Western Countries Trade Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Trade
- 1962–1967Ambassador to Japan
- 1967–1970Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, USSR
- 1970–1974Ambassador to Egypt (UAR)
- 1974–1977Ambassador-at-Large, USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- 1977–1982Ambassador to Iran
- 1982–1990Minister of Foreign Affairs, RSFSR
- 1990–1997Lecturer at MGIMO; Chairman, Committee for Middle East Settlement