Boris Ivanovich, Prince Kurakin

Boris Ivanovich, Prince Kurakin (born July 20 [July 30, New Style], 1676, Moscow, Russia—died Oct. 17 [Oct. 28], 1727, Paris, France) was one of the first professional diplomats of Russia, who represented Peter I the Great in western Europe.

In 1691 Kurakin became Peter’s brother-in-law by marrying the sister of the tsar’s first wife, Eudoxia. Although he was a member of the old Muscovite aristocracy and often disapproved of Peter’s nontraditional methods, Kurakin served the tsar faithfully.

After Russia entered the Great Northern War against Sweden, Kurakin fought in it as a soldier from 1700 to 1705. Shifted then to the diplomatic front, he persuaded Pope Clement XI to withhold his recognition of the pro-Swedish Stanisław I Leszczyński as king of Poland. After returning to Russia, Kurakin became head of the Semyonovsky Guards and took part in Russia’s victory over the Swedes at Poltava (1709). Then for the remainder of the war he devoted himself to diplomatic activities, arranging in 1709 the marriage of Peter’s son Alexis to Sophia Charlotte of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel and serving as ambassador to London (c. 1710) and to The Hague (1716). He also negotiated (1710) a defensive treaty of friendship for Peter with George I, elector of Hanover and future king of Great Britain; concluded the Treaty of Greifswald (1715) between Peter and George (as elector of Hanover), in which they exchanged territorial guarantees; and participated with Peter in the Paris negotiations resulting in a French agreement not to provide Sweden with assistance.

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After the Great Northern War was concluded (1721), Peter launched a campaign against Iran (1722–23), and Kurakin became coordinator of the work of all Russian diplomatic envoys. The following year he was appointed ambassador to Paris.

Ten volumes of Kurakin’s papers, which include detailed descriptions of the main characters and events of his day, were published in Arkhiv knyazya F.A. Kurakina (1890–1902; “Archive of Prince F.A. Kurakin”).