Russian Ambassador to UN Suddenly Dies, Second Death in 2 Months
NBC Reports that a Russian top diplomat Vitaly Churkin has died. This is the second death within two months of another top security diplomat known as Sergei Krivov was found dying on the early morning of election day on the floor of the Russian embassy on the upper east side of new York City. (http://adamfoxie.blogspot.com/2017/02/on-electionam-russian-secofficer-found.html)
He was a diplomat in charge of the embassy security in New York City and of all security issues in the area. “The man was unconscious and unresponsive, with an unidentified head wound — “blunt force trauma,” in cop parlance. By the time emergency responders reached him, he was dead.
Initial reports said the nameless man had plunged to his death from the roof of the consulate.”
"the Consulate General of Russia Sergei Krivov passed away on November 8, 2016,” the consulate told BuzzFeed News. “An American doctor that was admitted to the Consulate General stated without a doubt that the death was by natural reasons. Medical examiners are currently establishing the cause of his death, but it is believed that the man suffered a heart attack.”[CORKY SIEMASZKO writes]:
Vitaly Churkin, the smooth-talking Russian ambassador to the United Nations, died suddenly Monday, officials said.
Churkin, who was 64, was at his desk when he died, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed.
"A prominent Russian diplomat has passed away while at work," the Ministry said in a statement on its official website. "We'd like to express our sincere condolences to Vitaly Churkin's family.'
Born Feb. 21, 1952 in Moscow, Churkin died a day before his 65th birthday. He began his 32-year diplomatic career in 1974 when Russia was still the Soviet Union, according to a United Nations biography.
Fluent in English and French, Churkin was a child actor who appeared in pair of Communist-era movies about Lenin before he set out to become a diplomat.
Before arriving in New York City, Churkin was ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation from 2003 to 2006. He was his country's ambassador to Canada from 1998 to 2003, and to Belgium from 1994 to 1998.
Prior to that, Churkin was deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation from 1992 to 1994. And before that he headed the Information Department at the Foreign Ministry in the Soviet era.
Churkin made his first mark on the world stage in 1986 when at age 34 he became the first Russian diplomat to testify before a U.S. Congressional committee. He was questioned about the Chernobyl nuclear accident and asked to explain why Moscow waited for days before alerting its neighbors about the disaster.
It did not go well, as the Chicago Tribune reported in a story headlined "Soviet Envoy Does Dance For Congress."
"The world is appalled, Mr. Churkin, and they want to know why didn't warn them," Rep. Edward Markey, D- Mass., said.
"We are certainly well aware of our responsibilities," Churkin replied. "We have been very forthcoming. It is my understanding that no harm was done — real harm — in those countries which are adjacent to the Soviet Union, to the people who live there."
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