Subtleties of receiving foreign delegations. Meeting foreign guests at the Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports How to properly meet the delegation at the airport

Coming to St. Petersburg, people hope to have a good time here. Basically, many people succeed. It is simply impossible not to fall in love with this place. It has beautiful architecture, pleasant weather and many attractions. There really is something to see here.

Some tourists come here for recreation, while others for work. Whatever the purpose of the trip, everyone will be able to take something interesting from this place with them.

People arrive at the airport from different parts of the world. And each of them has their own desires and needs. But they all look forward to a warm welcome, help and welcome. And all this can be provided to them.

When a foreign delegation arrives in this city, first of all, they should be met by people who know their language well. On the website https://MBPrestige.ru/ you can order similar services. There is also some interesting information on this topic. Basically, the services consist of the following list:

meeting with guests;
providing a translation;
transfer them to the hotel;
assistance in case of disputes;
as well as entertaining guests and guaranteeing them an interesting pastime.

Basically, today many people are fluent in English and other languages \u200b\u200band are able to provide assistance to guests. In principle, in order to meet foreigners, more often than not, only a good knowledge of the English language will be enough. But, if people do not know him, then knowledge of additional languages \u200b\u200bwill also be needed.

It is best to use the services in advance. In this case, you can be sure that the guests will find an accompanying person and get to the hotel without any problems. If you put off everything until the last moment, then it is quite possible that many unforeseen situations will arise.

Also, to avoid any troubles, it is best to meet guests with a sign. The name of the company or some designation understandable to foreigners should be written on it. Today, it is thanks to people with signs that many people find the information they need and get to the right place without any problems.

Business visits to friendly companies and firms are a common occurrence when partners or clients are in different cities or countries. You can agree on a lot by phone and e-mail. But personal contact is emphasized. Reception of the client / partner at the airport / train station is important. It is from this meeting that any business visit begins.

Not so long ago, a good friend of ours had such a force majeure at work. An in-house translator fell ill, and tomorrow foreign partners will arrive, who must be met at the airport with a sign, taken to the hotel, help with accommodation, and in the evening show Moscow a little. The leaders of the company were on edge, the entire department in panic and fuss. Of course, we helped our friend, because for knowledgeable people, there is nothing super complicated in this. So if you, dear greeters, need to meet your dear foreign guests and make a good impression on them, we invite you to use our services. Of course, as creative people we know how to work in impromptu mode, but nevertheless, before the meeting, we would like to clarify the following points:

What are these people
- the purpose of their visit
- budget
- program of stay agreed by the parties
- the wishes of the customer.

We are looking forward to your guests! And just in case, we post small phrases and expressions, if you still have to meet guests yourself.

1. Meeting a foreign partner at the train station / airport

Upon arrival at the site, guests are greeted by one of the authorized employees of the company, but not by the management. The conversation is reduced to phrases like: "How did you arrive?" In the office, already the commanding personnel who are directly involved in this meeting are connected to the communication. Here the list of topics for conversation is quite wide.

The host	the guest
You see a guest who has come to you, you greet him and at the same time introduce yourself: "Mr. Prinston? Welcome to Moscow. My name is Peter Timurov. I "m Mr. Brown`s personal assistant. I" ll show you around the town and take you to the hotel / our office ... "	You answer: "Thank you, Mr. Timurov. I appreciate your help" ...
Next, you ask the guest routine everyday life questions. Set questions may vary, but there are still several constant topics. "How was the flight / journey?" "I hope you had a good flight?" "Did you have a good flight trip journey?" "Is it your first time in Moscow? " "Is it your first visit to Moscow? "If your interlocutor mentioned something, related to your city, country ... you can ask him a few additional questions to create casual conversation: "Mm, restaurants? So you like Russian cuisine. What is your favorite meal?" ...	You answer the "courtesy" questions asked to you. As a rule, in this in case of similar questions to the maintainer you do not ask. "It was fine / nice / OK ... Thank you" "The flight / journey wasn" t good actually, because (name the reason) "." Unfortunately, ... " If the answer is yes or no, you have to say something else. about the place that you are asked about. "Yes, it" s my first visit to Moscow. I "ve never been here before but have always wanted to. I heard a lot of interesting things about your city ..." "No, I was here two years ago. I remember visiting The Kremlin, very beautiful".
It would also be quite appropriate to ask: "How long are you staying in Moscow? "," How long are you here for? "There is also such a question on duty:" Do you travel a lot on business? "" What countries have you visited? "" Do you enjoy traveling? "	"Just for a few days" ... "It depends on how quick I settle the business matters with your company". "No, not very often. I usually travel on holidays. Last winter I was in ..."

2. Visit of a foreign partner to the office

In the office, the foreign guest communicates with the office staff and with the official who will conduct business negotiations. An informal acquaintance conversation may include those phrases that the guest has already exchanged at the airport / train station.

Office / company workers	the guest
Your guest, apparently, came to you from the hotel, so the appropriate question is: "Is your hotel comfortable?", "Is everything with your hotel OK?"	"Yes, the hotel is fine" ...
If your guest has not been to your city for the first time or has not been to your city for a long time, then you can ask him: "How do you like it here in Moscow?"	"Your city has changed so much since I visited it 7 years ago. It become so European" ...
The guest will be pleased if the owner of the office asks about the affairs of his hometown: "How are things in London?"
And if the host has very friendly relations with the guest, then it will be possible to exchange questions about the family with him: "How is your family?", "How are the kids?" ...	"The family is fine, thank you ..."
Other possible questions with polite suggestions about willingness to provide some kind of service to the guest: "Can I take your coat / get you a drink? ..." "Do you need anything?" "If you need to… use a phone or fax? Please say" "Can we do anything for you?"	Other possible guest requests: "There is one thing I need ..." "Could you get me ..." "Would you be so kind to reserve me a table in Metropol? ..." "Could you help me to arrange ..." "Can you recommend me a good restaurant?"

Instructions

Find out the flight number and arrival time. Check this information up to the departure of the passenger, as the flight may be delayed, and then you will have to spend several hours in vain at the airport. The ideal option is a message from the plane just before take off. Knowing the estimated travel time, you will always be able to calculate what time you need to arrive at the airport.

Add at least half an hour to the arrival time. Passengers will leave the plane, go through passport control, and receive their luggage. Such a reserve is required in order, again, not to waste extra time waiting.

Once at the airport, go to the arrivals hall. all metal frames, follow the flight arrival screens. Match the flight number and arrival time you need with the exit number and go to it. It is from there that the expected passenger will leave. Of course, it is possible to transfer the flight to another exit, so periodically check the information on the scoreboard. Many airports provide only one passage for arriving passengers, in which case you will have to be on the lookout so as not to miss your friend in the crowd.

If you arrive to meet a passenger by car, leave it in the parking lot near the departure halls, not the arrival halls. Near the latter, a huge queue of cars is always formed, and you will waste a lot of time just to get out of there. After meeting a passenger, head to the exit in the departure hall and safely leave the airport without standing in line.

Expecting to take a taxi after the meeting, it is better to go to the departure halls as well. You can save a lot of money, since there are usually cars that have brought passengers and do not want to go to the city empty. Therefore, drivers will agree to reduce the price by up to two times.

Make your newly returned friend a pleasure. The meeting itself is already a lot of pleasure, but it can be amplified many times over. If you meet a girl, be sure to buy a flower bouquet. It is better to do this in advance, as prices at the airport will be several times higher. When meeting a couple or group, make something like a sign or poster, writing their first or last name. Of course, you can always add creativity and amuse your friends who are tired after the flight.

Useful advice

If there are a lot of people in the passenger waiting room, feel free to head to the departure hall. It will be much freer there, and you can easily find yourself a chair.

In our crazy life, there is less and less time to meet with family and friends. These rare meetings need to be organized so that they are positive.

Instructions

If they come from afar, then you need them, if there is a need for it. You need to think about where you place them. Plan your day to set aside time to meet. Warn the rest of your acquaintances (colleagues, relatives) so that you are not disturbed once again.

Find out if your friends have business in your city. Otherwise, there may be an overlap of yours and their plans. This can lead to unnecessary hurt feelings. If possible, agree in advance on the program of your friends' stay.

If guests have come to you for a long time, be prepared to adjust your lifestyle. Be patient and try not to show annoyance to your friends. Each person has their own habits. Even if they cause you inconvenience, remember that they are your friends and you can sacrifice something for the sake of friendship.

Nearby countries

Citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as those with a residence permit in Russia, have the right to invite guests from abroad. At the same time, they are responsible for the entry, finding and departure of foreigners outside the country. To avoid problems with the law, you need to know the rules for the entry and stay of friends and relatives in Russia.

It should be understood that the rules are different for the countries of the near and far abroad. But how to determine where the near abroad ends and the far abroad begins? For example, the Baltic states bordering on Russia, Turkmenistan and Georgia are considered far abroad.

- Citizens of our country, to whom foreigners have come, must, within seven days, put them on migration registration by contacting the migration department at the place of residence. - says the head of the Migration Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the North-West Administrative District of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow Mikhail Butin. - This rule does not apply to residents of countries with which the Russian Federation has additional agreements - Belarus and Kazakhstan. Visitors from these countries enjoy other privileges as well.

If you do not register a foreign guest according to the law, you face a fine of two to four thousand rubles. A legal entity can be punished at all in the amount of 400 to 500 thousand.

Far countries

We have a visa regime with distant countries. To invite, for example, a brother from Canada, you need to come to the local migration department a month before the visit and provide documents: an application, a questionnaire, a photocopy of a foreign citizen's passport, a certificate of income of the receiving party (at least 13,760 rubles) and pay state duty in the amount of 800 rubles. Having received an invitation, a Russian citizen sends it to the embassy of our country in Canada, where a relative receives a visa.

Upon his arrival, you, as the host, must register the guest. To do this, you must submit to the territorial migration department his migration card, application and a photocopy of the foreigner's passport.

If a foreigner (even from neighboring countries) moves through the territory of the country, he must register in a new place of residence. If the immigration rules are violated, the party inviting the foreigner faces the penalties mentioned above.

They won't let you in another time

A foreign citizen has the right to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation for no more than 90 days if he has not entered into an employment contract with a Russian employer or has other circumstances a temporary residence permit that allows him to stay in Russia for three years without leaving. After three years, a citizen can apply for a residence permit.

- If the migration regime is violated, of course, they will not look for a foreigner with dogs, unless he commits other offenses. But they will add it to a special list. And it will be very problematic for this citizen to cross the border of the Russian Federation in the future. - says Mikhail Butin. - Guests from far abroad will not even be released from the country - they will be detained at the airport, and the foreigner will apply for a transit visa through the court.

The visits of statesmen are the highest form of international communication, they testify to the qualitative state of political, economic and other relations between the two states. A visit can be a state, official, work, unofficial, or passing visit.

After the president makes a decision to receive a foreign delegation, the protocol department and the state protocol department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs develop organizational measures in accordance with the nature of the planned visit and prepare a draft presidential decree on its conduct.

The preparation of the guest's program for all forms of visit is the same. However, state visits, as visits of the highest category, are carried out in special cases and no more than once during the time the head of state is in power. During a state visit, a high and honorable level of meeting and seeing off the guest is ensured: at the airport (or at the train station) the head of a foreign state is met by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Russian Federation holds an official welcoming and seeing off ceremony in the Kremlin.

In addition, during the visit, the guest is accompanied by a high official, usually at the level of a deputy prime minister.

After the dates of the visit are finally clarified, the protocol department of the presidential administration and the protocol department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs develop a draft program for the stay of the distinguished guest, taking into account his wishes, then the project is coordinated with the embassy and the so-called advanced groups traveling to Russia during the preparation of the visit.

Preparing for the arrival of its leader in Russia, an advance group consisting of representatives of protocol, security, communications, medicine, etc. arrives in Moscow 30-40 days before the visit. In some countries, it is considered advisable to send several advance groups at intervals of 2 -3 weeks.

The meeting with the advance group is taking place in the Kremlin; representatives of all services involved in the preparation and conduct of the visit from our side take part in it.

During the meeting, the details of the welcoming and seeing-off ceremonies are discussed; the composition of the participants in the negotiations; details of the official reception, signing of joint documents, exchange of gifts. The members of the advanced group get acquainted with the venue for official ceremonies, negotiations, inspect the residence provided to the distinguished guest in the Kremlin. After familiarizing themselves with the program as a whole, the members of the advanced group conduct negotiations "by interest" - protocol with protocol, security with security, etc.

The block of organizational, technical and economic issues is of great importance, requiring special scrupulousness and taking into account all the little things. For example, the employees of the Russian and foreign protocol agree on the number of persons from the guest delegation, the expenses of whose stay in Russia are borne by the Russian side. The Russian side also takes into account the rates of expenditure of financial resources when determining the number and level of services provided to foreign guests, including accommodation in residences and hotels, the provision of road transport and aviation support (for a flight to one of the cities of the Russian Federation, if provided by the visit program).

During state and official visits, the head of the foreign delegation is provided with a guest residence in the Kremlin, during working visits - one of the mansions on Vorobyovy Gory. For the official accompanying persons, the Russian side can provide rooms in the President Hotel or the Golden Ring. The Kremlin residence is located not far from the Borovitsky Gate, a little further than the Armory. These apartments have existed for a long time. As a rule, all heads of state and monarchs who come to Moscow stay here. Queen Elizabeth II of England and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stayed here in October 1994. During the Cold War era, many heads of state preferred to stay at their embassies, such as the American presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. But already Bill Clinton, accepting the invitation of our protocol service, stayed in the Kremlin. Anyone can pay attention: when the flag of a foreign state flies over the residence, it means that a distinguished guest is currently located here, who is received by the Russian president.

The number and type of vehicles provided by the Russian side are discussed with representatives of the advanced group. Usually, the head of state and his wife are served with limousine-class cars, and for accompanying persons - cars or executive minibuses. For the delivery of baggage from the airport and back, special vehicles are allocated.

It is customary to sum up the results of the meeting with the advanced group during a working breakfast, during which the final clarifications are made.

After the president signs the order on receiving the distinguished guest, the protocol department and the protocol department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs begin to prepare reference materials: the program of the visit, which is printed as a brochure in Russian and the language of the guest's country; seating schemes for negotiators and official dinner (breakfast); plan of accommodation of guests with addresses of residence and numbers of cars assigned to them. The printing house orders name cards in two languages: large format - to designate seats at the negotiating table and small format, the so-called couvert cards, which are installed on tables for those invited to dinner (breakfast). For each invitee, a card "Your place at the table" is made with the landmarks necessary for such an event. Forms of invitations, menu texts and covers for them, programs of performances and concerts within the framework of the cultural program, covers of speeches are also handed over to the printing house for printing.

On the eve of the visit, memorable gifts and souvenirs are prepared for the guests, the relevant departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appoint translators for the distinguished guest and his wife, the protocol officers of the presidential administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs control the preparation of the airport for the meeting ceremony and its attributes - state flags, guard of honor and orchestra. The Presidential Orchestra is learning the anthem of the guest's country. Participants in the ceremonies of meetings, negotiations and protocol events are notified of the time and place of their holding, the relevant services order bouquets of flowers, reserve cars and hotel rooms.

Meeting and seeing off at the airport

During a state visit, the distinguished guest is greeted by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Ambassador to the guest's country; during an official visit, by the Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and the Russian Ambassador to the guest's country.

State and official visits involve a solemn ceremony of meeting and seeing off at the airport with military honors, except for those cases when the guest arrives in Moscow late in the evening or early in the morning. In other cases, for example, during a working visit, a passing visit, etc., there are no ceremonies upon the arrival of the distinguished guest.

When meeting at the airport, the state flags of the guest's country and the Russian Federation are raised, an honor guard of three branches of the Armed Forces is lined up on the airfield. The chairman of the government or one of his deputies, the guest's ambassador in Moscow and the director of the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs approach the gangway.

The director of the Department of State Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ambassador of the guest's country board the plane and invite the head of state to leave. At the gangway, the head of a foreign state is greeted by the prime minister or his deputy. This moment is recorded on a photo and film camera. If the distinguished guest arrives with his spouse, the spouse of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation meets her at the gangplank, who presents the guest with a bouquet of flowers. After the performance of the national anthems, the guest's spouse takes a place among the officials accompanying the head of a foreign state.

The Director of the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation invites the head of a foreign state and the prime minister to go to the guard of honor. They take their seats on the carpet facing the airport building, and the chief of the guard of honor gives them a report. Then the head of the foreign state and the Russian prime minister turn to face the guard of honor, and the orchestra plays the national anthems of both countries.

The head of the foreign state and the prime minister take a few steps towards the banner of the guard of honor and greet him with a slight tilt of the head, after which they walk around the line, then say goodbye to the chief of the guard of honor and head to the airport building. The Russian prime minister welcomes the accompanying guests, and the head of a foreign state welcomes Russian officials, heads of diplomatic missions and employees of the embassy of his country.

The chief of the Foreign Ministry protocol invites the distinguished guest and the head of the Russian government to walk on the carpet, and a guard of honor is marching in front of them.

If the distinguished guest goes to the residence provided by the Russian side, the prime minister or his deputy should accompany him to the residence in the same car.

The flags of the guest country and the Russian Federation are set on the car. On state and official visits, the car is accompanied by an honorary escort of 9 motorcyclists.

The streets of the city at 3-4 points along the route of the guest to the residence must be decorated with the state flags of the guest's country and the Russian Federation.

At the entrance to the Kremlin residence, the head of a foreign state is greeted by the commandant of the Kremlin. The Prime Minister goes up with the guest to the third floor, escorting him to the very residence, then says goodbye to him.

The same ceremony is held when the distinguished guest leaves Moscow.

Even with such a well-developed ceremony, surprises occur, for example, when an arriving plane, due to weather conditions, is sent by a dispatcher to land not at the government airport Vnukovo-2, but at some other airport. In such cases, everyone who meets them has to take part in impromptu car races on the roads of the Moscow region in order to be in time by the time the ladder is fed to the landing plane. The task in such situations is further complicated by the fact that the guest needs to submit all the necessary vehicles in time and manage to form a motorcade, informing the drivers about the routes and the program of the visit.

Having met the distinguished guest, the staff of the protocol department seat the guests in the cars in accordance with the motorcade scheme, assist foreign colleagues in processing border and customs documents and sending the delegation's luggage to the residence and hotel.

In the residence and hotel, where the official delegation is to be accommodated, temporary headquarters are created from among the staff of the protocol, security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promptly resolve the issues of stay of foreign guests.

At the airport, the distinguished guests are met and escorted by a company of the guard of honor of the Moscow garrison. The company is based in Moscow, it has its own barracks, its own parade ground, since it spends a lot of time on shagistika or the so-called drill, which is absolutely necessary so that in any weather and at any time of the day the movements of the soldiers lined up in ranks are flawless. The company receives an application from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organize meeting and seeing-off events, and also participates in wreath-laying ceremonies. The company has special uniforms reminiscent of the uniform of the Russian army of Peter the Great.

No less responsibility lies with the presidential orchestra, an indispensable participant in the ceremonies for welcoming and seeing off distinguished guests.

I am reminded of a curious incident that happened back in Soviet times, in the summer of 1974, at the farewell ceremony for US President Nixon, who last came to Moscow in this capacity. His visit was overshadowed by the then impeachment campaign in the United States, which was based on the Watergate case. Nevertheless, a number of important documents were signed during the visit, including those on the reduction of strategic arms. The President arrived at the airport accompanied by Prime Minister A. N. Kosygin. The orchestra played the anthems of the two countries and then, as expected, began to perform marches in anticipation of the start of the engines of our Il-62 aircraft, which was supposed to deliver Nixon to Kiev, from where, in accordance with the program, already on his plane, he flew to Washington. I was then part of the group that participated in the seeing off of the American president. The orchestra played and played, and the engines did not start. As it later became known, the commander of the ship reported that one of the engines would not start, and it was decided to transfer to a spare plane, which, as expected, stood nearby. It immediately turned out that the spare plane had no onboard food. Then Kosygin and Bugaev, who was then the Minister of Civil Aviation, boarded the plane and, apologizing, invited the distinguished guest to go to the waiting room while the reserve plane was being prepared. And our female flight attendants began to carry food prepared for the American delegation on trays. When one of the flight attendants stepped onto the gangplank with oranges, they rolled off the tray and scattered across the field. The whole world then watched newsreels with these oranges. Of course, they were not shown to us. And all the time, while the American president was being transferred to another plane, until the moment when the airliner taxied to the runway, the orchestra played vigorous marches.

Previously, the visits of distinguished guests lasted 7-10 days, and they had the opportunity to visit several cities of the Soviet Union. Now it is not customary to make long visits, and therefore guests only occasionally visit one of the cities of Russia.

On state and official visits, a motorcade of cars carrying the distinguished guest is accompanied by an escort of motorcyclists. This happens at any time of the year, except for winter, when traffic on highways is difficult due to weather conditions. If you ever see such an escort on the street while the Russian president himself is on a trip around the country or abroad, this means that you are observing a training run, working out some parameters of movement. All escort motorcyclists are Special Purpose Garage employees, as are the cars that are served to distinguished guests. Our motorcycles, created at the Izhevsk plant, powerful machines with good maneuverability, participate in the escort. And although motorcyclists are certainly not stuntmen, they can do a lot of things, and above all, shoot great.

The schedule of the meeting of the head of a foreign state must be sent to the embassies so that they are aware of and can participate in it. Usually, during a state visit, the guest is met by the chairman of the government, if the visit is official - one of his deputies. We have always had a clear agreement in this regard, and there has never been such a thing that the responsible persons from the government did not come to the airport. Another thing is that it happened that they didn’t come in what was supposed to. Everyone probably remembers how Nemtsov, being the first deputy prime minister, met one of the high-ranking guests in white trousers.

Clinton was once considered one of the promising young senators before becoming president. During a reception in honor of Clinton, pointing to Nemtsov, Yeltsin said: "We are also growing up a young politician, he has just passed thirty, maybe he will be president!" Clinton called Nemtsov over to greet him, and he, without hesitation, instead of going around, extended his hand across the table. Of course, I had to explain to him later that he was wrong.

When the British queen arrived in Moscow in October 1994, President Yeltsin, as an exception, went to the airport to meet her. And already in 2003, Jacques Chirac personally met Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at the airport. Before, we had cases when our president was also met and escorted by the heads of state. This happened spontaneously and showed the president's special disposition towards his Russian guest.

Protocol is a very delicate matter. Mitterrand met us - my French partners have the opportunity to hint to me that now it would not hurt our president to go to the airport to meet the French president. But usually, of course, I never heard such proposals, since such a decision remains solely at the discretion of the receiving party. Our partners are well aware that they have made a deviation from the general rule confirmed by international practice.

Kings and queens, as a rule, can visit the country only once. Representatives of royal families mainly meet among themselves: at weddings, christenings, funerals. Regarding the permission for the visit of their monarchs and the allocation of funds for it in some countries, it is openly, in others - at closed meetings, this issue is decided by the Council of Ministers, since we are talking about large public spending.

The visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England to our country was a serious test both for the employees of the relevant protocol services and for our dignitaries. The President accompanied the Queen on her trip to St. Petersburg. During the organization and holding of the royal reception on board the yacht "Britannia" we tried to take into account all the peculiarities of the British royal protocol.

Location of participants in official conversations, negotiations, dinners

When placing or seating members of delegations and accompanying persons, as well as those invited to various official ceremonies, the principle of protocol precedence is used, which is widely used in modern international practice.

As a guideline, they usually take the protocol list of the highest state officials approved by the president, listed in a strictly defined sequence in accordance with the constitution. The first on this list is the president, the second is the chairman of the government, then the leaders of the Federation Council and the State Duma, the chairmen of the Constitutional, Supreme and Supreme Arbitration Courts, the Prosecutor General. They are followed by the first deputy prime ministers, the minister of foreign affairs, deputy chairmen of the chambers of parliament, etc.

In recent years, for the first time in the post-revolutionary history of Russia, during official events in protocol seniority, the merits of Russian citizens who were awarded the highest Russian orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and "For Merit to the Fatherland" II, III, IV degrees began to be emphasized.

It may seem that when arranging the participants in the ceremonies, it is only necessary to have lists of delegations and to escort the invitees to their assigned places on time. In fact, during any visit, an atmosphere of solemn nervousness invariably arises: the late arrival of certain persons from the Russian and foreign delegations, the desire of those in the "line" to regroup at their own discretion, require maximum attention and tact from the protocol staff.

According to the established Russian protocol tradition, the participants of the ceremonies are lined up, as a rule, at the meeting and seeing off at the airport, at the official meeting and seeing off at the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin residence of the Russian President.

The morning after the arrival in Moscow of Queen Elizabeth II of England, we all expected her to come out, but for some reason the Queen did not appear. She stayed at the Kremlin residence, and the meeting with President Yeltsin was to take place in the Kremlin Palace. I sent my assistant Alexander Marshev to find out what was the matter. He comes running and says: “The Queen’s chief governess slept and did not prepare flowers for her. Until the second-hand is made, the queen will not come out. "

We then noticed for the first time that Elizabeth II always had a small bunch of flowers in her hands. I think this is no coincidence. There are many such awkward moments when, not observing etiquette, a lady is shaking her hand without waiting for her to give it herself. Apparently, this happens not only in Russia, therefore, protecting the queen from unexpected and inappropriate handshakes, her protocol established such a rule that the queen should always hold a secondhand book in her hands. Everyone can see that the queen's hands are busy, and if necessary, she will extend her hand herself.

So after some hesitation, the queen finally came out, apologized and said: "Mine also let me down at times."

Etiquette in relation to the queen is generally not easy: it often cancels the generally accepted and respected rules of good form. For example, the queen, unlike any other woman, cannot be supported by the elbow as she descends the stairs.

Conversation

According to Russian protocol practice, if official negotiations are held in the Kremlin, they usually take place in a representative office and begin with a one-on-one conversation between the Russian president and the head of a foreign state. During this conversation, as a rule, there are recording and translators - one on each side.

At the end of the negotiations, depending on the further program, the heads and members of the delegations either say goodbye in the representative office, or go to the Ambassador Hall of the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation for the ceremony of signing joint documents.

Signing of documents

The ambassadorial hall is intended for the presentation of credentials by ambassadors of foreign states (it was used during the reconstruction of the BKD); it is also here that it is customary to sign interstate agreements and treaties. The very name of the hall - Ambassadorial - reflects the essence of the events taking place in it. The decoration of the hall is dominated by the coat of arms of Russia - a two-headed eagle. It can be seen on the walls upholstered in purple fabric and on an exquisite bronze chandelier. The golden threads with which the heraldic eagles are embroidered add a special shine and splendor to the external appearance of the hall.

The signing of joint documents in the Ambassadors Hall is carried out, as a rule, after the completion of negotiations in the representative office in the presence of the negotiators, who are located to the right and left of the table next to the flags of their states.

The President of the Russian Federation and the head of a foreign state take seats at the table, while the head of the foreign state is located to the right of the Russian president.

An employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry reads out the names of the documents to be signed in Russian and foreign languages. After the signing of joint documents and their alternatives, the Russian president and his foreign partner exchange documents and shake hands.

Champagne is served.

In some cases, depending on the political significance of the signed documents, the parties can give short answers to 2-3 questions of journalists.

While the heads of state are meeting face to face, brief conversations between members of the Russian and foreign delegations are usually held in the Gostiny and Kaminny halls.

The program of an official or working meeting may include a breakfast on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, to which only negotiators are invited to continue the discussion of the issues raised at the meeting, but in a more relaxed atmosphere. Such breakfasts are arranged in the Small Banquet Hall of the residence.

The aforementioned representative premises make up the suite of the second floor of the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Each of these rooms has its own type of decor. The Living Room is executed in a wonderful artistic vein: a combination of white, blue and gilding on furniture and doors, oval mirrors in bronze frames, inlaid parquet flooring emphasize the impression of solemnity. The banquet hall is designed in light yellow and blue tones, and its interior corresponds to the classic traditions of the 18th century. The hall is significantly enlarged by tall rectangular mirrors located between the semi-columns. The bronze chandelier adorning the painted ceiling contains the symbols of Russia - the double-headed heraldic eagles.

Official meeting in the Catherine Hall

When the President of the Russian Federation receives the head of a foreign state in the Catherine Hall, this ceremony is not much different from the one held in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

The head of a foreign state arrives at the guest entrance of the courtyard of the Kremlin residence of the Russian president and, passing through the foyer, ascends the main staircase to the Catherine Hall. Both in the foyer and on the main staircase he is met by a guard of honor.

In the Catherine Hall, the distinguished guest will be awaited by the Russian participants of the meeting and accompanying persons. The President of the Russian Federation comes out to meet him to the sound of presidential fanfare from the side of the Advisory Room.

Having met in the center of the hall, the presidents shake hands and go to the place indicated by the corresponding flags. They are photographed for memory, after which the national anthems of the guest's country and the Russian Federation are performed.

If the guest arrives with his spouse, the ceremony participants are arranged in the following order: the guest's spouse stands to the left of the President of the Russian Federation, the spouse of the President of the Russian Federation - to the right of the guest. The wife of the President of the Russian Federation presents a bouquet of flowers to the guest's wife.

Presidents pass to greet and introduce Russian officials and the official guest delegation, after which they leave the hall.

Official dinner at the Catherine Hall

After the number and composition of the guests are finally determined, the options for arranging tables are first worked out, then a plan and seating order for guests are drawn up, a menu is selected.

The guests get acquainted with the main provisions of the script of the official dinner using the enclosures sent along with the invitations.

Here is a sample insert and invitation to an official dinner on the occasion of the visit of the King of Norway to the Russian Federation:

“Those invited to an official dinner arrive at the arch of the courtyard of the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation and, passing through the guest entrance, gather in the lobby on the ground floor.

They are given presentation cards and table seating cards; an aperitif is served.

The gathering of guests ends at 18.40.

At 19.00, guests are invited to climb the main staircase to the Advisory Room. Upon entering the Advisory Room, the presentation cards are handed over to the officer of the protocol of the President of the Russian Federation. In the meeting room, the invitees are introduced to the President of the Russian Federation B.N.Yeltsin, King of Norway Harald V, Queen Sonja and N.I.

Dress code: men - a dark suit, women - long evening dress, servicemen - full dress uniform with order pads.

Please refrain from smoking in the premises of the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation. "

Those invited to an official dinner gather at the arch of the courtyard of the Russian president’s Kremlin residence. After passing through the guest entrance, they gather in the lobby on the ground floor, where they are given seating cards at the tables (for a state visit - also presentation cards) and an aperitif is served.

The collection of guests ends 15–20 minutes before the start of the official lunch. At this time, the Russian President, the head of a foreign state and their spouses meet in the Advisory Room.

At the appointed time, guests are invited to climb the grand staircase to the Advisory Room. During a state visit, a guard of honor is lined up on the main staircase. In the Advisory Room, the invitees are introduced to the Russian President and the head of a foreign state.

If the guest arrives with his spouse, the heads of state and their spouses arrange themselves to greet the invitees in the following sequence: the President of Russia, the guest, the spouse of the guest, the spouse of the President of Russia.

After the performance, the invitees go to the Catherine Hall to their places at the tables. The last to enter the hall, to the sound of presidential fanfare, are the Russian president and the head of a foreign state.

At the beginning of the lunch, the heads of state exchange official speeches and toasts. Translations of speeches and toasts are prepared in advance and laid out on the tables. The Russian president is the first to take the floor, then the head of a foreign state.

At the end of the dinner, first, to the sound of presidential fanfare, the presidents leave the hall, followed by the rest.

During a state visit, those invited to a formal dinner enter the Advisory Room and hand their presentation cards to the President's Minutes Officer, who reads them out to both Presidents.

Official lunch (breakfast) at the Faceted Chamber

An obligatory element of the program of state, official or working visits of the head of a foreign state to Moscow is a reception (breakfast or lunch) hosted in his honor by the Russian president in the Faceted Chamber of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

The Faceted Chamber is the oldest surviving building of the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in 1487-1491. The chamber served as a throne room. Here, in a solemn atmosphere, they received foreign ambassadors, organized festivities on the occasion of events of national importance. In 1552 Ivan the Terrible celebrated here the conquest of the Kazan Khanate; in 1653, in the Faceted Chamber, the ambassadors of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky conveyed to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich the will of the Ukrainian people "to stand under the arm of the Tsar of Moscow"; in 1709, Peter I celebrated here a victory over the Swedes near Poltava, etc.

In preparation for the reception, the most suitable table arrangement is selected, which depends on the number of guests and on whether the guest arrived with his wife or not. If the head of a foreign state comes to Russia with his wife, most of the guests from the Russian side are invited with their spouses, and oval tables for 7-8 people are placed in the Faceted Chamber. If the reception is carried out without wives, a U-shaped table is placed. With a large number of guests, a different structure is assembled, consisting of a rectangular main table and four parallel rays-tables extending from it.

Having chosen a table arrangement scheme, the protocol staff proceed to drawing up a seating plan for Russian and foreign guests. At receptions of this level, guests are seated with the obligatory observance of the protocol seniority adopted in Russia and in the guest's country. The most honorable place at the main table - on the right hand of the Russian president - is given to the main guest, on the left is the second most important person. Then, if the reception is with the spouses, the spouse of the guest is located to the left of the Russian president, and the spouse of the president of Russia sits next to the guest. Further, according to this principle, the rest of the guests are seated, taking into account that the farther from the main persons, the less honorable the places. Places must necessarily alternate - a man is planted next to a woman and vice versa. It should be remembered that a husband and wife should not sit together, and in case of “divorce” on different tables, the wife has the protocol seniority of the husband. In addition, you cannot offer a woman a seat at the end of the table if a man is not sitting at its end.

The interpreters are seated behind the guest chairs. It is impossible to attach an interpreter to each guest, therefore, first of all, they are provided to those sitting at the main table, as well as negotiators and especially honored guests from both sides. When seating the rest of the guests, the guests' knowledge of foreign languages \u200b\u200bis taken into account as much as possible, as well as the community of interests of those sitting at the same table. When the number of invitees reaches 120 people, the protocol staff have to solve real puzzles.

From time to time, a scheme found with difficulty has to be changed literally on the go. There are times when, shortly before the start of the meal, it becomes known that one or another of the invitees will not be able to come to the reception. We have to literally “patch up” the decaying scheme, using backup seating options, trying to arrange so that the festive mood of the guests is not overshadowed by the slightest inconvenience, and the ceremonial part of the dinner was held according to the established rules.

The text of the invitation to the reception is usually very laconic, in accordance with the requirements of international diplomatic protocol and etiquette. The form, size, number and content of the invitations sent out depend on the venue of the event, the capacity of the hall and, most importantly, on the representative level of the main guest of the President of the Russian Federation.

In addition, according to a long-standing tradition, the invitation is a kind of pass to the event. In tsarist times, there were special "coachman" tickets for the entrance to the Kremlin, which were issued to those invited to the State Duma office. Now invitations are delivered by officers of the state courier service under the government of the Russian Federation or sent through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the embassies or directly to guests.

An equally important role in holding a formal dinner is played by a properly composed menu. Thus, when organizing official events in honor of the leaders of countries professing Islam, alcoholic drinks and dishes made from pork are completely excluded from the menu. During the visits of Indian government delegations to Russia, a special menu is being prepared, in which dishes from beef and veal are completely excluded, since the cow is a sacred animal in India.

In addition to the invitation itself, the envelope contains the so-called insert, which indicates the procedure for the reception. So, for lunch on the occasion of the official visit of the President of the United States of America, invitations were attached with the following inserts:

“Those invited to dinner arrive at the Grand Kremlin Palace through the main entrance, climb the main staircase and pass through the entrance hall to Ge orgievsky hall. They are given seating cards at the tables. The collection of guests ends 15 minutes before lunch.

At about 7 pm, guests are invited to the Vladimir Hall. They are presented to the President of the Russian Federation, N. I. Yeltsina, the President of the United States of America, Mr. William J. Clinton, and Mrs. H. Clinton and through the Holy Entrance to the Faceted Chamber, where they stop at their seats determined by the seating plan.

At the end of the lunch, the guests go to the St. George Hall of the BKDU where they will oncert.

In order to preserve the artistic values \u200b\u200bof the Grand Kremlin Palace, please refrain from smoking. "

The form of clothing may be indicated in the insert, for example: men - a dark suit, women - an evening long dress, military personnel - a full dress uniform with order pads.

As can be seen from the contents of the insert, persons invited to the official dinner arrive at the St. George Hall 15–20 minutes before it starts.

The President of the Russian Federation and the head of a foreign state meet in the Winter Garden and, a few minutes before lunch, go to the center of the Vladimir Hall to greet the guests.

If the head of a foreign state arrives with his spouse, the presidents and their spouses are located in the center of the hall with their faces in the following order: the President of Russia, the guest, the spouse of the guest, the spouse of the President of Russia. Having introduced themselves to the presidents, the guests go to the Faceted Chamber and take their places at the tables.

As I said before, official toasts and speeches are made at the beginning of lunch, translations of speeches are laid out on the tables. During this time, representatives of the media are invited to the hall.

At the end of lunch, both presidents are the first to leave the Faceted Chamber.

In 1995, the Red Porch, destroyed in the 30s of the last century, was added to the Holy Hall of the Faceted Chamber. In former times, people passed through the white-stone Red Porch only on especially solemn occasions: through it the tsars went to the Assumption Cathedral for coronation and weddings, here the sovereign showed himself and bowed to the people on special celebrations. Crowned persons and foreign ambassadors of Christian countries ascended into and out of the palace along the Red Porch, who were thus given a special honor.

With the restoration of the historical appearance of the front porch, this good tradition was revived. So, during the official visit of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the President of Russia, accompanying her for a walk around the Kremlin, took the Queen out through the Red Porch. After the signing of the integration documents between Russia and Belarus, the presidents of the two countries and Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II descended from the Grand Kremlin Palace to Cathedral Square along the Red Porch.

Conversations and negotiations

Meetings and conversations of the President of Russia with the heads of foreign states, as well as negotiations in a narrow and expanded format are the key events of the visit. The official part of the program of the heads of foreign states begins with conversations and negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation.

To conduct such conversations, the protocol department draws up a list of participants in the meeting from the Russian and foreign sides. Conversations usually have one recording and one interpreter. As a rule, the recording staff are the assistants to the heads of state on foreign policy issues. After the location of this event has been determined, the protocolmen notify the negotiators from the Russian side, the press and ensure the timely arrival of the delegation to the Kremlin.

The head of the foreign delegation is accompanied by a representative of the protocol service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the meeting with the President of Russia. In the Kremlin, he is met by a representative of the Russian president's protocol department. He escorts the guest to the Green Living Room of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Previously, it was called the Parade Divnaya and served as a resting place for the most honored guests who participated in royal receptions and balls. Here, by the fireplace, at a small table, the interlocutors sit opposite each other under the flags of their states.

In the case when the head of a foreign state is in the Russian Federation on a working visit, as well as when the parties wish to emphasize the special character of the visit, the conversation takes place in the Kremlin residence of the president.

Expanded negotiations

The talks between the President of Russia and the heads of foreign states are proceeding according to the same scheme, only the place of negotiations and the composition of participants change.

Previously, plenary sessions (that is, meetings in an expanded format) were held exclusively in the Hall of the Order of St. Catherine, the former Throne Hall of Empress Catherine I, the head of the Catherine Order.

The Order of St. Catherine (the Order of the Liberation) is a special and only women's order in Russia. It was founded by Peter I in memory of the exit of the Russian army from the Turkish encirclement in 1711. Catherine I played an important role in her rescue, whose jewels were used to bribe the commander of the Turkish army. In tsarist Russia, the order was awarded to the wives of the highest tsarist dignitaries and maids of honor of the imperial court.

Now negotiations in an expanded format can also take place in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Before their start, a foreign delegation enters the Hall of the Order of St. Catherine from the side of the Green Living Room, and our President and the Russian negotiators from the side of the Cavalry Hall. Each side has a delegation of no more than twelve people.

Meeting in the center of the hall, on the side along the windows, the two presidents shake hands and take pictures (photo and TV correspondents are invited in advance).

The participants in the negotiations take the places indicated by the cover cards, the interpreters sit to the left of the heads of delegations. They are filmed and photographed again, after which the media representatives leave the hall.

The extended negotiations are held in the same way in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

If during the negotiations a decision is made to immediately sign a joint working document, both parties go to the Red Living Room.

Both presidents sit at the table (the head of a foreign state to the right of the president of the Russian Federation). The negotiators stand to the right and left of the table on the side of the flags of their states.

The signing of major final documents is held in a more solemn atmosphere in the Vladimir Hall in the presence of a wide range of invited and numerous representatives of the press.

Signing of final documents

The signing of the final documents usually takes place in the Vladimir Hall. Vladimirsky Hall - the ceremonial room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, where representatives of the merchant and bourgeois classes who participated in the highest receptions gathered. It is named after the Order of St. Vladimir, established by Catherine II in honor of the Kiev prince Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko, the baptist of Rus.

Before the signing of the final documents, both presidents meet in the Winter Garden a few minutes before the ceremony. At this time, the invitees gather in the Vladimir Hall, and the negotiators stand to the right and left of the table on the side of the flags of their states.

At the appointed time, the Russian president and the head of a foreign state descend the stairs from the Winter Garden to the Vladimir Hall to the table at which the signing is to take place, and take seats in chairs (the head of a foreign state is on the right hand of the Russian president).

Having signed joint documents and their alternatives, the presidents exchange them and shake hands. Champagne is served.

Sometimes, after signing, the heads of delegations say a few words at the microphones located on both sides of the table, or come up to the press and answer two or three questions from journalists.

Presentation of credentials

The presentation of credentials is an event held by the Presidential Protocol Office and the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For the ambassador of a foreign state, who must present his credentials to the Russian president, a ZIL executive class car is sent, in which, accompanied by an employee of the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, he arrives at the Kremlin.

Not later than 20 minutes before the start of the ceremony, the ambassadors of foreign states enter the courtyard of the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation. After passing through the guest entrance, they climb the main staircase to the second floor. A guard of honor is posted along the way. The meeting place for ambassadors is the Exhibition Hall, where the Kremlin museums display their expositions.

A few minutes before the ceremony, foreign ambassadors are invited to the Catherine Hall, where they line up. In addition to them, representatives of the media are present in the hall.

At the appointed time, from the side of the Advisory Room, the President enters the hall, accompanied by the Deputy Head of his Administration and the Minister (or First Deputy Minister) of Foreign Affairs of Russia and goes to the place where the Russian flag and the standard of the President of the Russian Federation are installed.

The foreign minister stands to the right of the president, and the deputy head of the presidential administration for foreign affairs - to the left. The Director of the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces the Ambassador presenting his credentials. The ambassador walks up the carpet to the president, presents his credentials and, after shaking hands, takes a place to the right of the president for a photograph, and then returns to his seat.

Upon completion of the presentation of his credentials, the president addresses the ambassadors with a short speech. Champagne is served.

The President holds an informal conversation with the ambassadors, at the end of which the ceremony of presenting his credentials is considered completed.

Laying wreaths

The laying of wreaths by the heads of foreign states at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow takes place with the obligatory participation of a guard of honor and an orchestra.

The guard of honor lined up in two lines in front of the grave. On the right flank of the guard of honor, battle banners are installed, the orchestra is located to the right of the banners. At the grave there are sentries with carbines at their feet. The embassy staff of the guest's country will deliver the wreath in advance.

The distinguished guest is greeted by Russian officials and the military commandant of Moscow, after which the delegation walks along the line of the guard of honor.

The leading officer of the guard of honor goes first, followed by two officers at a distance of two or three steps carrying a wreath (sometimes these are persons from the foreign delegation assigned to carry the wreath), followed by the head of a foreign state.

The main guest is escorted: on the right - the military commandant, on the left - the main escort from the Russian side and the director of the state protocol department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by the delegation, Russian officials, employees of the embassy of the guest's country.

With the approach of the delegation, at the command of the chief, the guard of honor takes the position of attention, aligning itself with the guests. The orchestra performs funeral and solemn melodies. The battle banners lean forward. When the delegation approaches the grave, the orchestra becomes silent. The head of the foreign state lays a wreath and honors the memory of the victims with a minute of silence.

Attending a theater or concert

During state and official visits to the Russian Federation of heads of state and government, the program of stay may include a visit to a theater performance or concert.

In such cases, the staff of the protocol department arrive at the theater or concert hall in advance and deliver baskets of flowers to be handed to the artists or musicians on behalf of the distinguished guest, the Russian president or his representative. The president and his distinguished guest are provided with the central box of the theater or concert hall. If the visit is state or official, the state flags of the guest's country and the Russian Federation are hung on both sides of the box, and the national anthems of the two countries are played before the start of the performance. On an unofficial visit, flags are not displayed and hymns are not performed.

Programs and librettos printed in Russian and the language of the guest's country are laid out in advance in the box. All arrivals are seated in accordance with protocol seniority. At the end of the performance, two baskets with business cards are brought onto the stage - from the distinguished guest and the President of the Russian Federation.

At the end of the performance, at the request of the guests, a short meeting with the leading artists or directors can take place, and a buffet table can be organized during the intermission.

Official receptions

The traditions of holding receptions came to us from the distant past. The receptions are designed to demonstrate the peacefulness and kindness, hospitality and hospitality of the people.

Usually, at receptions, guests are treated to national cuisine, but there are times when guests, for some reason, cannot eat these dishes. For example, among the distinguished guests are vegetarians. Usually this question is raised during the preparation of the visit. In such cases, the protocol service ascertains the number of guests who do not eat animal products. Naturally, the Kremlin chefs prepare special dishes for such guests. A discreet sign is placed on the corresponding couvert cards, which allows the waiter not to confuse which dishes can be served to this guest.

Usually, when we receive a head of a foreign state, we always ask which cuisine our guest prefers. The usual answer in such cases is: no special wishes. However, if a guest has health problems, the people keeping his protocol must inform them, and we do everything so that the guest not only does not stay hungry, but also enjoys our treat. A gesture of special respect towards a foreign delegation is considered the inclusion of dishes traditional for the guest's country in the menu of the official reception.

As for drinks, in international practice it is customary to offer red and white wine during a meal. But if, for example, there is no vodka at our reception, they will simply not understand us.

In recent years, problems have begun to arise with wine: the quality of wines obtained in the territory of present-day Russia leaves much to be desired, and the wines that we export from the CIS countries cost us not much cheaper than French ones, and there are a lot of fakes among them. For example, today you can buy khvanchkara and kindzmarauli anywhere and as much as you like, but in Soviet times, the grape varieties from which they were made grew only in a certain place, and these wines were difficult to buy even in Tbilisi.

In order to host receptions during our foreign visits, we took with us several chefs who knew excellent Russian cuisine and well-trained waiters. Now less often they began to arrange so-called reciprocal receptions, and earlier they were certainly part of protocol practice: if, for example, today Reagan gives a reception in honor of Gorbachev, then tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we must organize a reciprocal reception at our embassy. Then, for the sake of economy, we carried a lot of products with us. We still carry part of the products: vodka, caviar, our pickles. Previously, our black bread was very popular in the world, especially among the French and Americans. We brought him with us. Baking bread has always been ours. Now this is no longer relevant: all over the world, bread products are in much less demand. Everything else can be bought at the market or in the store, and modern technical means allow you to determine the quality of products on the spot.

We do not arrange large receptions, usually we have 80-100 people abroad. In Russia - not much more, about 120 people. The largest reception was for 150 people, when Queen Elizabeth II of England was on an official visit to Russia. And, of course, in honor of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, when there were a lot of distinguished guests.

Most often, the limited number of invitees was explained by the fact that we did not have appropriate premises for a long time. In France, for example, the reception is held simultaneously in different rooms of the Elysee Palace, and an impressive number of guests can be accommodated there. The Americans are solving this question even more interestingly. There are not many premises in the White House suitable for a large crowd of people. The hall there is designed for 80 people, and there are always many more people who want to get to the reception, and among them there are many high-ranking guests. Suppose that only 15 seats are reserved for the Russian delegation, and its composition is 20 people. Those who did not make it to the main part of the reception are invited by the hosts to a concert that takes place after the reception. At about 21 o'clock those who have received the invitation arrive. They are served champagne, cognac, cigars. If we tried to organize a reception in this way, there would be conversations that the guests are divided into black and white. But, I think, someday the understanding will come that this is a perfectly acceptable form of holding such events. Although I know that nowadays all kinds of associations in the Radisson Hotel or somewhere else hold very crowded receptions, of a thousand or more people.

Currently, in international practice, several types of official receptions have been established, each of which has its own etiquette.

Afternoon receptions

Daytime receptions include "working breakfast", "glass of champagne", "glass of wine", breakfasts.

A “working breakfast” is usually held during the Russian president's visits abroad to meet with representatives of the business community or for working meetings with heads of state at multilateral international forums.

The “work breakfast” is usually arranged at 8.00-8.30 am and lasts no more than one hour and fifteen minutes. A limited number of guests are invited to attend. There are no toasts or special performances during breakfast.

A “glass of champagne” usually starts at 12 noon and lasts an hour and a half. During the reception, in addition to champagne, guests are served wine, juices, mineral water... Drinks and light meals are served by the waiters. The "glass of wine" method is similar.

It is possible to invite guests with spouses to such receptions.

Breakfast is usually served between 12.30 and 15.00 and lasts up to one and a half hours. When organizing breakfast on the Russian side, the menu includes one or two cold snacks, one fish or meat dish and dessert. Sometimes a first course and a hot starter are served at breakfast.

Before breakfast, guests are offered juices, dry wine is served at the table, and in the end - champagne, coffee, tea. Since breakfast is most often of a business nature (except for official breakfasts in honor of a distinguished foreign guest), invitees usually come to it without a spouse.

Evening receptions

In international protocol practice, it is generally accepted that afternoon receptions are less solemn than evening ones.

One of these is "tea", usually held between 4 and 6 pm, usually for women. In Russian protocol practice, this type of reception is used when the spouse of the President of Russia invites the wife of a distinguished foreign guest, other women during official visits of heads of state and government to our country.

No more than 7-10 women are invited to "tea", usually they are seated at the same table and treated to sweets, cookies, pastries, small sandwiches, fruits, drinks.

Another type of evening reception is the "cocktail", which starts between 17 and 19 hours and lasts about two hours. During the reception, the waiters serve drinks and hot and cold snacks. Often, 2-3 buffets are arranged at different ends of the hall, where waiters offer drinks to guests.

Reception like "a la buffet" is not much different from the "cocktail", especially since it is held at the same hours. At the buffet reception, tables are set with snacks and hot dishes, and guests choose their own treat and put it on their plates. At the buffets, waiters offer drinks to guests.

The cocktail and a la buffet receptions are held standing up, followed by champagne, ice cream and coffee.

At a lunch-buffet reception starting at 18–20 o'clock, guests, having collected their own snacks, at their discretion, sit down at small tables for 4–6 people.

For all of the above receptions, guests are usually invited with their spouses.

Lunch is considered the most solemn type of reception. According to Russian protocol practice, lunch usually starts at 19:00 and is held in the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin residence of the President, or the Reception House on Vorobyovy Gory.

The gala dinner includes performances by the host and the guest. It is preliminarily stipulated that they will last no more than 5-7 minutes at the very beginning of the event. When everyone is seated in their seats, the Russian president gets up and delivers his speech, the translation of which, prepared and printed in advance, is already on the tables so as not to waste time on interpretation. We also receive the guest's speech the day before, print it in Russian and lay it out on the tables. If the speaker wants to say a few words in addition to the text, he says: I am distracted from the text, I ask the translator to help. Such cases are very rare and are associated with strong impressions that aroused corresponding emotions in the host or guest.

The exchange of speeches takes 15 minutes, after which the press leaves, the microphones are removed, live music plays, conversations, jokes, laughter begin. Waiters bring snacks, hot meals.

In accordance with Russian national traditions, the official dinner menu includes two or three cold appetizers, the first: soup, borscht, hot fish and hot meat dishes.

Drinks are not on the table. A glass of vodka is poured in advance, which, of course, you can not drink. In recent years, Boris Nikolayevich was not even put a glass of vodka, he drank exclusively red wine. The waiters walk around the guests and offer them red and white wine. It used to be firmly established that white wine is served with fish, and red wine is served with meat. Now the tradition of wine drinking is changing, everyone can decide for himself which wine he prefers to eat meat and fish with. At the end of the lunch, sweets are served: cakes, pastries, fruits, coffee, tea. The waiters offer champagne. Having risen from the table, the guests move to another room, where they are treated to cognac, liqueur, coffee, where they can smoke. In the Kremlin, we usually ask our guests not to smoke at receptions, but not everyone responds to our request. There are many who do not deny themselves anything; it is clear that the owners have to endure it.

A small light music concert is organized during lunchtime. Only a very limited number of guests are invited to dine with the spouses.

Clothing for formal receptions

Since ancient times, in international practice, there has been a tradition of strict adherence to the rules for choosing clothes when attending official receptions. These rules are as strict today as they were centuries ago.

Clothing for men has been and remains the most conservative, and therefore strictly regulated. For formal events, a man is recommended to have a tuxedo, tailcoat and classic suit in his wardrobe.

Tuxedo and tailcoat are increasingly used in the world protocol practice as types of evening dress. When holding events on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation in Moscow, a tailcoat is not yet used, while in a number of states (Sweden, France) it is a traditional dress for official receptions.

When a tailcoat is required, the official invitation is written “white tie” (literally “white tie”). A white vest and a white bow tie are required for a classic tailcoat (a black bow tie is used in combination with a tailcoat only by waiters and orchestra musicians).

In Russian protocol practice, a tuxedo is more common. It originated in the UK, where men traditionally smoked cigars. Cigar ash, falling on the lapels of a jacket, left noticeable marks. To avoid this, a special “smoking jacket” was invented, the lapels of which were covered with silk or semi-silk fabric. Almost unchanged, the tuxedo has survived to this day and has remained one of the main elements of clothing for especially special occasions.

A tuxedo is compulsory if the official invitation is marked “black tie”. In the case of a tuxedo, this phrase should be understood literally - a bow tie as an element of a tuxedo when visiting an official reception can only be black. A tuxedo requires a white shirt, a dark belt, patent leather shoes, carefully selected accessories (cufflinks, a scarf in a breast pocket). The classic tuxedo is always black; it is not recommended to wear recently colored tuxedos (for example, white) for official receptions.

Most often, when holding official receptions on behalf of the Russian president and his wife, an ordinary classic suit is used in protocol practice. The requirements for the suit are simple: good cut, high-quality fabric, calm colors. Formal dress can only be one-color. It is advisable to avoid colored vests. Navy blue blazers with gold buttons are also unacceptable for a formal occasion.

A dark blue suit is ideal for an evening event (it may have a barely noticeable strip), a dark gray suit is also possible. It is not recommended to wear a black suit. For formal events starting before 7 pm, you can wear a suit in light colors. Despite the current wealth of choice, the model of the suit should be classic and fit the figure of its owner.

For all official events, men are advised to wear a plain white shirt and tie in a calm color. Today, a scarf in the breast pocket of a jacket is often used as an accessory. The scarf should be of the same quality as the tie and match in color.

An important element of the look is shoes. Reinterpreting the famous phrase of G. Ford, which he said about the color of a car, I will say that shoes for official reception can be of any color, but only if this color is black. It is recommended to wear black classic low shoes and, of course, black socks.

Servicemen must take part in official receptions in their ceremonial uniforms with order pads.

Women have always had more freedom in choosing a suit. Unlike men's, women's clothing is difficult to regulate in detail. Here it is important to observe only a number of principles, and above all the one according to which classic silhouettes and colors always remain the basis of women's formal wear.

At the same time, women's clothing must correspond to the times and meet the current high fashion trends. For example, recently, at formal events, you can often see women in dark pantsuits, as well as in elegant cropped dresses. In some countries, a women's suit that resembles a classic tuxedo is in fashion as an official fashion.

You should not wear a long evening dress for daytime events; a dress of a regular length, a dress-suit or a classic women's suit will be much more acceptable. In this case, the general color scheme should be moderately calm, and the dress or skirt should be of a reasonable length.

For evening events, it is customary to wear an elegant evening dress, long or medium length. It can be of any classic color, but at the same time it should be combined with the color of the lady's companion's suit. Do not wear an overly open dress at the reception.

Separately, it should be said about the lady's makeup and accessories. Makeup should not be flashy, and bright evening makeup is acceptable only for evening events. A large amount of jewelry is also unacceptable. The color and texture of the handbag should match the overall appearance. It is not recommended to use a hat, especially a hat, as an element of an evening dress for ladies. Silk or lace gloves can be worn with an evening dress, and the shorter the sleeve, the longer the gloves should be.

Evening ladies' shoes can only be classic shoes with high or low heels.

Meetings "without ties"

This format of communication between leaders of states appeared long ago. Meetings of the so-called "seven" (now the "eight"), the Asia-Pacific summit were held and are held, as a rule, at the end of the working week. It's Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. A feature of such (in fact, working) meetings is their informal nature, when in a relaxed, relaxed atmosphere, as a rule, somewhere in a country residence, the leaders of states can discuss among their circle the most pressing, burning issues of interstate relations and a wide range of international problems ...

The seeming informality of the talks, however, in no way means a superficial approach to the problems discussed. On the contrary, precisely because the exchange of views is frank and confidential, the preparation of leaders for such conversations is carried out with the utmost thoroughness and thoroughness.

Naturally, in order to reach the informal level of relations, it is necessary that top managers know each other well.

Gorbachev had one of the first such informal meetings in the Stavropol Territory, in Arkhyz, practically in his homeland, with Helmut Kohl. It was back in July 1990.

Then Boris Nikolaevich also maintained unusually good relations with him. Helmut Kohl turned out to be a large-scale politician: being the chancellor for 14 years is a lot for a country like Germany. I always remember his wife Khan Laura warmly. She was a pleasant person to talk to, an interesting woman, with good training, and she adequately represented both Germany and her family at international meetings. Kohl had many meetings, both with Gorbachev and Yeltsin, both formal and informal.

Yeltsin's very first “no ties” meetings were held with colleagues from the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In 1993, a number of unofficial meetings took place, among which was, for example, a working visit to Moscow by the President of Ukraine. On the morning of June 17, the plane of the Ukrainian leader landed at Vnukovo airport, from there he was taken by helicopter to the country residence of President Yeltsin. While the prime ministers, who were part of the delegations, also negotiated in an informal atmosphere, the leaders of states discussed the problems of bilateral relations for a walk. Then the four presidents and prime ministers gathered together and tried to find the keys to resolving the existing issues. Later on, the foreign and defense ministers joined in the conversation, and the negotiations were continued over a working breakfast. Such a meeting, by all accounts, contributed to a significant rapprochement of the positions of the two sides.

Warm, informal relations have been established between the Russian President and the President of Finland M. Ahtisaari. This was largely facilitated by the meeting between Yeltsin and Akhtisaari in the Shuiskaya Chupa residence in Karelia in July 1997. The President of Finland arrived in the afternoon, after which the Russian-Finnish negotiations "face to face" began. In the morning - working breakfast, boat trip on Lake Onega. Joint fishing, a visit to the sauna, and long conversations contributed to the establishment of a friendly and frank atmosphere of communication between the leaders of the two countries, and this made it possible to conduct a comprehensive inventory of all aspects of Russian-Finnish interaction. During the exchange of views, very acute international issues were not bypassed either. The meeting between M. Akhtisaari and B. N. Yeltsin yielded concrete results in expanding humanitarian cooperation.

Meetings "without ties" have become a practice of contacts at the highest level of the President of Russia with the leaders of the G8 countries. An informal dialogue between the Russian leader and the President of France, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Prime Minister of Japan was actively maintained. An interesting meeting was held between Boris N. Yeltsin and R. Hashimoto in Krasnoyarsk at the end of 1997. Yeltsin invited the Japanese leader for a river trip along the Yenisei, during which they examined the dam and Divnogorsk. Then they went fishing together. In the evening, the communication was continued at dinner, in which a narrow circle of assistants participated from both sides. The next day, Yeltsin and Hashimoto discussed the results of the negotiations among themselves and only after that they met with journalists. The return meeting took place in April 1998 in the Japanese city of Kavanagh.

Such informal meetings by no means exclude the need for the relevant services to carry out a huge amount of preparatory work. So, on the eve, orders are adopted on the procedure for conducting a visit, approximate schemes, programs, etc. are approved. Moreover, the work of the protocol service becomes much more complicated. The staff of the protocol department have to gradually regulate the negotiation process, without pushing or slowing it down, but giving top managers complete freedom to maneuver, at the right time sending the necessary consultants, cabinet members and experts to them.

It was customary in our press to accuse Yeltsin of allegedly passing with the leaders of the G8 countries to an address called "friend Bill", "friend of Ryu." I can definitely say that the Russian side has never shown such an initiative. When we said: "Mr. Clinton," we were offered: "Let's just Bill." After all, they do not have a first name and patronymic, and the address "Mr. Clinton" and "Mr. President" is too formal, and they wanted to get away from it. When Russia joined the leaders of the G7 countries, our president had to accept the rules of the game, move away from formal principles in relations with the heads of other states. In the atmosphere of meetings "without ties" they all began to move more freely, more freely to show their emotions.

In America, after the meeting of the leaders of the United States and Russia, the correspondents managed to take a very successful photo, a rear view: Yeltsin and Clinton are sitting and looking into the distance. This photo was featured in many American newspapers. There was an interesting episode at the same meeting. Boris Nikolaevich suddenly, for no reason at all, said to Clinton: "You will lose." And Clinton laughed. For about three minutes he laughed demonstratively, and no one could understand what was wrong with him. Then they continued the conversation, and Clinton lifted his legs high in the American way. During the negotiations, Boris Nikolayevich was always very strict, from clothes to posture. Clinton, this time, not only crossed his legs, but also took hold of the shoe with his hands. This was not the first time. Boris Nikolaevich suddenly asked: "What, Bill, is he shaking his shoe?" Clinton was transferred. He grinned, dropped his leg and never again took such a pose at meetings with Yeltsin.

In the meetings of the G8 countries there is more pomp, evening events are obligatory here, appearance in evening costumes. Meetings of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region are held mainly in summer, in the heat. In general, it is customary for all to sew the same shirt. Another thing is that wearing them is not at all necessary. At some events, the "seven" had to wear cowboy boots and a hat. The meeting took place in 1997 in Denver, California, which is the land of cowboys. It is clear that to some extent this whole entourage is just a game. The guests reacted to this proposal in different ways: some put on boots and a hat, some did not. We didn't change into cowboys.

The number of accompanying persons at “no ties” meetings is always limited, and there are usually no foreign ministers here. The program does not plan any official events, the laying of wreaths. All the participants' attention is focused only on this circle of communication and on those problems that they set out to discuss.

In my opinion, such meetings really help to improve mutual understanding. From 1991 until 2000, I had the opportunity to attend all the "sevens", "sevens plus one" and "eights". I can say that such meetings actually provide an opportunity for a frank conversation. The top officials of states talk at the negotiating table, at breakfast and at dinner.

Now their relationship has become easier, there is no previous tension, pomp. In the course of such meetings, they generally change a lot. They know how and love to joke. They may interrupt the meeting and rush to watch a football match. (As a rule, the G8 meetings take place in the summer, when the football world championships are held.)

Now President Vladimir Putin is taking part in the G8 meetings, and he has developed special relations with both Schroeder and Blair. They also call each other "friend", but when discussing issues of principle, they take a tough stance and each defends the interests of his country.

The traditional exchange of souvenirs and gifts between the heads of foreign delegations and the leadership of the host country has long been considered an indispensable attribute of the world protocol practice.

According to the ambassadorial ritual of ancient Muscovy, guests never came empty-handed - as a rule, gifts were unique works of art. Oriental guests won the favor of the Russian tsars with magnificent horse harness and precious weapons, the Europeans amazed the sovereign's imagination with exquisite silver and gold dishes and jewelry.

In the 17th century, Armenian merchants, seeking duty-free trade, presented Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with a throne decorated with diamonds.

Overseas guests did not leave the Russian sovereign empty-handed. If he was pleased with their gifts, then he immediately ordered to weigh sables and expensive fabrics to the guests according to the weight of their gift.

The tsar gave gifts not only to foreigners, but also to his subjects. Weapons and fabrics were especially valued in the old days. The Tsar generously presented the Russian patriarchs and metropolitans with gold and silver brocade, silks and velvet. Later, among our gifts, the works of our jewelers, as well as the St. Petersburg porcelain factory, created on the initiative of the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov, began to appear. But we had a chance to give something more substantial. For example, in Paris there is the Alexander III bridge, built in the 19th century with the active participation of Russia.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, accounting and storage of jewelry, awards, gifts that belonged to or donated to the royal family were dealt with by the office department of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, which was in charge of:

Room of Imperial Regalia and Crown Diamonds in the Winter Palace;

Pantry of precious things and stones and wardrobe of the Imperial persons;

Pantry of stone products delivered from the Yekaterinburg and Kolyvan factories.

Some of the gifts received by the Moscow tsars in their time have been preserved in the Armory, while the other part of the gifts, dating back to the era of the empire, is kept and exhibited in the State Hermitage.

After 1917, great state and political significance was attached to the exchange of memorable gifts. This is evidenced by the fact that a specially created “gift commission” was involved in the selection of souvenirs for foreign visitors. And the duties of presenting souvenirs and memorable gifts were assigned to the protocol department of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which performed the functions of a state protocol.

Gift funds existed in the administration of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in all major ministries and departments.

After the revolution, as you know, a bloody Civil War began, and famine began in a country in international isolation. I think that during the period of the beginning of the recognition of Soviet power, foreign ambassadors hardly received official gifts from the Soviet leadership.

For the first time, they started talking about gifts out loud when they were preparing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Stalin. In connection with the upcoming event, this issue was even considered at a meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b). In accordance with the decision taken at the meeting, an Exhibition of Gifts to IV Stalin was organized. By January 10, 1950, in its funds, which were housed in the premises of the Museum of the USSR Revolution, the V.I.Lenin Museum, the Polytechnic Museum, the Museum fine arts them. A.S. Pushkin, the Armory and a number of other museums, there were 127,823 gifts, addresses and letters of thanks. Among the gifts to Stalin were paintings, sculptures, wood and bone carvers, and much more. Among them were truly unique products: a carpet made by more than 18 thousand women in Slovakia; cars "Skoda", "minor", "Alfa Romeo"; a rare mammoth tusk vase with more than 100 figures on it (the Chinese master has been working on it for more than nine years); a letter from the inhabitants of the city of Delhi, which fits on a grain of rice and consists of 182 characters; weapons made by famous Arab craftsmen. Stalin did not take anything from these gifts. He understood perfectly well that through them the whole world expressed its attitude towards our people, who only four years ago had won the hardest victory in the world war. This was a recognition of our role in the defeat of German fascism.

Stalin, as is known, practically never left the country. Khrushchev is another matter. He traveled a lot, but it's hard for me to say anything definite about what kind of gifts Khrushchev took with him. I guess it's more about souvenirs. We prepared monumental gifts in that era for organizations and enterprises, for fraternal parties. As the congresses of communist and workers' parties in other countries took place, our party leaders attended them. Within the framework of the congresses, meetings were held with the labor collectives of enterprises, rallies. Gifts were also matched to the events: a sculptural image of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, to someone larger, someone smaller. Sometimes it was a picture from the life of Ilyich. Academician Nalbandian specialized in such works. There were also artists who worked on political orders, such work ensured a comfortable existence, a large number of orders.

Once, when we were preparing for some event held by the French Communist Party, Nalbandian painted a painting "Lenin in the Louvre" by our order. This canvas depicted Lenin at the time when he lived in Paris, looking at one of the Louvre masterpieces. At the same time, Nalbandian painted another picture: Lenin in the Taynitsky Garden. It depicts Ilyich in full growth, among blossoming cherries and apple trees. This episode could be traced back to the very beginning of the 1920s. And on both canvases he was wearing a polka-dot tie. I take it and ask: did Lenin have another tie? The master's reaction was very violent, and I realized that it was better not to ask such questions again.

In that era, many different souvenirs were made for fraternal parties. When their representatives came to Moscow for our congresses, they presented themselves with souvenirs of the same type. I think they are now kept in the storerooms of the Historical Museum or the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia.

When the general secretaries of the CPSU Central Committee and members of the Politburo traveled abroad, a so-called gift group was created in the administration of the Central Committee, which included employees of the CPSU Central Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When preparing gifts for foreign politicians, their influence on the international arena and support for the USSR's foreign policy initiatives were taken into account. Sometimes the presentation of souvenirs was designed to change the political mood of the country's leadership.

For this purpose, under the guise of souvenirs, airliners, hydrofoils, cars, jewelry, paintings, and crystal products were presented. The leaders of foreign states were awarded with Soviet orders and medals.

Expensive gifts were given, as a rule, to statesmen of the so-called developing countries, since in developed countries there are cost restrictions on the gifts accepted, which is strictly monitored by the tax services of these countries.

Speaking about international experience in organizing the storage of gifts in the form of artistic, material and documentary values \u200b\u200bpresented to the heads of state during the performance of their duties, one can refer to the practice of some foreign countries.

In the United States, gifts whose official value exceeds $ 250 and which are presented to the president and his wife in the course of performing public duties are subject to accounting and are accepted for government custody at the Treasury Department. Their subsequent use (expositions, transfer to a museum, art galleries, etc.) is determined by the apparatus of the White House in an administrative manner. Among the most valuable gifts and acquisitions, exhibitions can be organized both in the White House and in the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, which is funded from the state budget. Individual items can be used to decorate the interior of the White House and the President's country residence at Camp David.

Gifts, which are documents, books and manuscripts, at the end of the president's term in office, go to his presidential library, which is maintained at the expense of public funds. Personal Presidential Libraries are maintained by the United States National Archives. There is no special museum for gifts to US presidents.

In Great Britain, gifts and valuables presented to the Queen are accounted for and deposited with the government, becoming the property of the nation. Material values \u200b\u200bare stored in the Tower and can be displayed at various exhibitions with the consent of the Queen.

Gifts can be requested from storage and used by the Queen at her discretion during her tenure as head of state.

The procedure for receiving memorable gifts by senior officials of Great Britain is regulated by the provisions of the Code of Rules and Regulations for the Activities of Members of the Government Cabinet, which came into force in July 1997. The document was developed on the personal instructions of Prime Minister E. Blair.

The Code of Practice contains a special section entitled “Acceptance of Gifts and Services,” according to which ministers and other senior officials should be guided by generally recognized and established principles. This means: to refrain from accepting gifts, travel and accommodation services, or other services from anyone if their acceptance imposes any obligations or gives reason to believe that such may arise. This rule also applies to the procedure for accepting gifts and services by family members of senior officials.

Ministers and other senior officials are obliged to inform the permanent deputy minister of the relevant department, that is, the person who is the highest official, about all facts of receiving gifts, regardless of changes in the composition of the government. Gifts with a value not exceeding £ 140 may be left by the recipient for personal use. Expensive gifts must be placed at the disposal of the appropriate department. As a rule, such gifts are donated to all kinds of charitable societies. There may be exceptions when:

The recipient is willing to pay the difference between the actual value of the gift and the permitted value limit of £ 140;

The recipient expresses a desire to present the donor with a gift of the same value as a reciprocal gesture and pay for it from his own funds;

The management of the department makes a decision to include the gift in the permanent exhibition of gifts or to use the gift for official needs;

The fact that the recipient of the gift is at the disposal of his department may be regarded by the donor as a manifestation of disrespect;

The gift can be used by the recipient in the future and possession of it is a demonstration of special politeness towards the donor.

In such cases, the gift may remain at the disposal of the agency to which the recipient belongs for five years.

The document emphasizes that gifts received during business trips abroad and exceeding the aggregate value of the monetary allowance paid in connection with the trip must be declared at customs upon entry into the UK. The decision on the possible imposition of duties on imported gifts falls within the competence of the customs authorities. If you wish to leave the gift at your personal disposal, the person importing it pays the customs expenses in full.

In France, there is no special set of rules that would regulate the receipt of gifts by officials, including from heads of foreign states and governments. Judging by the explanations received from the protocol services of the Elysee Palace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly, the country's top officials are not limited in receiving gifts through official channels. An official who has received a gift has the right to decide for himself how to dispose of it.

Thus, François Mitterrand handed over the trotter, received from the President of Turkmenistan, to the State Stud Farm, and Jacques Chirac returned the gold watch received during the G8 meeting in Denver.

François Mitterrand transferred the gifts he received to a special museum, which was created on his initiative in the city of Château-Chinon in the department of Nievre, from which he was once elected to the National Assembly.

On the other hand, we can talk about the customs and practices that have developed in the country related to the ethics of public service. It is not accepted, for example, that civil servants accept gifts that are more expensive than $ 200-300 (with the minimum wage in the country about a thousand dollars), as well as those that do not belong to the category of souvenirs or items of current use. If it is impossible to evade accepting a valuable gift, as it happens during official visits, it is transferred to the disposal of the higher state administration, which decides the issue of its intended use.

In Soviet protocol practice, until 1985, there were no cost restrictions on souvenirs received by citizens. The Soviet leaders accepted cars, paintings, carpets, televisions, audio and video systems as gifts. So, JI. I. Brezhnev at one time received a high-speed American car "Corvette" as a gift, and this was not the only car presented to our General Secretary.

In the West, of course, they knew about Brezhnev's love for cars. Plus, we've never been trendsetters in the automotive industry. In 1971 in France, after Brezhnev's public speech in the square, he was presented with a wonderful Renault. I saw it with my own eyes, as I was then part of a tourist group in this square, waving a flag at him.

Among the cars presented to Brezhnev were both a Peugeot and a Cadillac. He really loved cars, he loved to steer. He himself got behind the wheel of a ZIL on the way between Zavidovo and Moscow. It happened that minor accidents happened, the pine somehow touched.

All donated cars were parked in the Kremlin garage. Brezhnev could not ride them when he wanted: neither time nor health allowed. He did not give away these cars to relatives either.

Brezhnev also had a fairly large collection of guns. Probably, he took with him a particularly vending shotgun on the hunt. But, as a rule, all gifts were returned to the Central Committee and surrendered to Gokhran. Although, I will not bend my heart, I know that under Brezhnev some things were taken from Gokhran, of course, not the worst and at state prices, that is, practically for nothing.

Gifts were supposed to be given on birthday to members of the Politburo. It got to the point of ridiculousness: in the days of Brezhnev, it was customary to give everyone the same gifts, including the general secretary. At the beginning of the year, they made their own decision: this year we will give a "combine": a TV set, a tape recorder and a turntable. We ordered these "combines" at the Minsk Television Plant. When Gorbachev became General Secretary, he gave up this practice.

When I started working in the protocol service of the Central Committee, I was also responsible for the storeroom where gifts were accumulated. The first thing I did was look at it. There was a lot. After all, it is impossible to spontaneously provide gifts for an event. You need to collect them, you need to have a stash. There, for example, should be guns, products from Gzhel, souvenirs. In case of a trip to a fraternal country, there should be a portrait of Lenin, a bust of Thälmann, some battle painting, a panel. All such gifts are ordered in advance and are waiting in the wings in the pantry.

When perestroika began, we ordered a watch with the inscription on the dial: perestroika. They left with a bang. This was the most expensive gift given at the Moscow Watch Factory. Chistopol supplied us with women's souvenir watches with enamel.

When we were preparing for our visits, we were given two or three gifts to order. But it was supposed to give gifts not only to the head of the delegation, but also to everyone else, this is usually 20-30 people. We also took small souvenirs with us for translators and guards. Badges with our symbols, watches, small trinkets, planks, pens with the autograph of Gorbachev, and later Yeltsin, always went well.

Once a week, artists came to us, brought sketches, we discussed prices with them. Each time, we ordered a batch of souvenirs and gifts so that it did not linger in the pantry. Another thing is that album production could become outdated, so when a new album was released, the old one was collected on expeditions and sent to libraries.

It was necessary to constantly monitor that the pantry was not cluttered.

In those years I regularly visited all art exhibitions, exhibitions of applied art, art galleries to look for new authors. After all, when ordering a gift, it was necessary to take into account both who would give it and who it would be given to.

As a rule, it is customary to make expensive gifts during a state visit, which, I repeat, can be organized to this country only once for a given head of state. Having received such a gift, one had to think about what to give in return. But nevertheless, no matter how strange it may seem, it is not at all necessary to answer adequately.

From the stories of people who worked for many years in the gift pantry of the Central Committee, I know that similar pantries were in the Supreme Soviet and the Council of Ministers. They worked in parallel. There were kept souvenir and gift items from Zlatoust, Dulyov, Mstera, Palekh, Khokhloma, Gus-Khrustalny, the city of Kasli, the Leningrad Porcelain Factory, Tula hunting weapons and samovars. There were Vologda lace and Orenburg shawls. All works of art were quite accessible at that time. The best Palekh caskets cost no more than 200–250 rubles.

Preparing for the first foreign visit of Mikhail Gorbachev, while still as general secretary, I put up all the gifts and souvenirs that we were going to take with us, starting with the main gift and ending with what we prepared for the security officers. Particular attention was paid to the main gift. The rest were souvenirs with our symbols. When choosing gifts, we proceeded from the fact that we do not give the representatives of other countries products, which, and perhaps better, are made in their country. We did not bring porcelain to Japan. If we were already bringing the finest products of the Leningrad Porcelain Factory to some country, we knew for sure that our partners would be able to appreciate our school and our skills. When Mikhail Sergeevich visited the Queen of England for the first time, we learned that the royal family collects porcelain. We ordered a beautiful tete-a-tete with our state symbols at the LFZ.

We were constantly looking for souvenirs for the head of state. Naturally, we made inquiries about what his wife is fond of. A gift is a very delicate thing, it is a whole science. Here and newspaper information is used. We learned that Ronald Reagan was very fond of horses. When I was in the White House Oval Office, I noticed that it was covered with images of horses. And we also learned that the American president collects saddles. We found out that the best saddles in our country are made by Kyrgyz craftsmen, and ordered a saddle for them. It was made of different leathers, lined, trimmed with inlay. I liked the gift very much, and Reagan, as is customary throughout the world, wrote a letter of thanks to Gorbachev.

Some heads of state collected stamps, chess. Here it was necessary to show ingenuity: you will not surprise anyone with ordinary chess. But the Soviet brands were very good. We ordered special stockbooks for them.

For other members of the foreign delegation, we ordered all kinds of souvenir sets. For example, a bottle of vodka and a can of red and black caviar each; very beautiful chocolate sets "Kremlin", which were pleasant to give to children in the orphanage, to the women who served us. There were souvenir cognacs in special bottles. Then we had a wide choice, it could be Moldovan, Armenian, and Georgian cognacs, with or without glasses.

We did not take the Red Moscow perfume to Paris, but when we went to Cuba or any Latin American country, it was one of the best gifts for women.

It was even important to consider in which country which color is preferred. For example, there was nothing to go to Germany with gzhel, since they also have traditional white and blue dishes. Such questions were studied in detail, since it was impossible to get into trouble with gifts. We had two or three employees who have specialized in such delicate work for many years. One of them, the main one, was Alexander Marshalov, a well-educated man, an intellectual, a good draftsman. He had an art school and the Institute of Foreign Languages \u200b\u200bbehind him.

The pantry was gradually replenished. Famous and novice artists have already worked on our orders. We ordered a landscape for the young Alexander Shilov for Margaret Thatcher. Small things were done for us by sculptors, for example, young Viktor Sonin, the author of the tombstone to Yu.V. Andropov on Red Square. The circle of artists we attracted was wide. We made sure to let them know who their work was donated to.

We worked on souvenirs with specific enterprises, we had a plan for the year ahead. In addition, there was strict control over execution, and I knew that if I placed such an order, such products would not appear anywhere else. Now everything has become possible.

Souvenir products were constantly updated. We kept strict records, in a special book it was recorded to whom when what was given, so as not to repeat. Now such accounting is carried out using a computer.

We have only recently begun to use our symbolism more boldly. Before, it was impossible to just go to the store and buy the flag of the Soviet Union. For some reason, it was assumed in advance that the person buying this flag was pursuing unseemly goals. In America, you can buy the American flag in any store, almost every family has it, and on national holidays, Americans hang it on the balcony, on the roof, on a flagpole.

Recently, we began to order souvenir badges with two flags, Russian and the country with which the summit is being held.

In our country, preparing a present for a member of the Politburo, we showed it to an assistant who knew the tastes of his boss well, and consulted with him. Then there were spending restrictions: conditionally 1,000 rubles could be spent on a gift for the general, 800 for members of the Politburo.

At one of the Moscow factories there was a workshop specializing in the packaging of gifts and souvenirs. Today this can be done in any store, previously such services were not available. Before packing, we carefully examined each product, if we came across defective products, we exchanged them. Especially a lot of trouble was with Khokhloma: wood is a capricious material, it can crack at any moment.

Each gift was examined several times. Once on a crystal dish, which we planned to give, upon arrival at the place, we found a crack. Fortunately, I had something in reserve, and the disaster did not happen.

On a foreign visit, we took with us ready-made inscribed envelopes with cards. We and the French were famous for our great calligraphers. Each gift must include a business card from the president. The French wrote it by hand in ligature. Now this is done on a computer. The group in charge of gifts and souvenirs takes a computer, a printer and prints on site.

In the days of Gorbachev, all gifts more than $ 500: brooches, watches, caskets were handed over to Gokhran. Some of these gifts were exhibited at the Museum of the Revolution (now the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia). In total, about two to three thousand items were handed over.

Today they write about a bribe that Gorbachev allegedly received in South Korea along with the box given to him. This is confirmed by Mr. Boldin, because for some reason the money in question ended up in his safe. This story seems implausible to me. I handed the neatly packed box with my own hands to Mikhail Sergeevich, and that, apparently, to someone else. I don't understand a lot in this story, especially the main thing: what kind of support from the Soviet Union could South Korea seek in this way?

Even now they say that the Nobel Prize was allegedly inflated to Gorbachev, in the form of a hidden bribe, or something. But he was not the one who flew for the prize, but when the money was brought to him, the main part of this amount was written off to children's institutions in my presence. Gifts that cost less than $ 500 were sent to orphanages and businesses.

Yeltsin was once loaded with rackets, but they also gave him guns, knowing his love of hunting. Excellent hunting rifles are made by Americans and Czechs. They were given, of course, by those who produce them. By the way, our weapons of the Tula and Izhevsk arms factories are also excellent. In Tula, as a rule, hunting rifles were made with a unique inlay of the rifle itself and the butt.

Boris Nikolayevich later handed out donated rackets to children's sports schools, friends who played sports. He had two or three favorites of them, but the rackets quickly break, they often have to be changed.

Yeltsin donated sculptural works, paintings, books to the president's library in the Kremlin, where rare books presented to him in due time and official gifts made during meetings with foreign leaders, as well as with the heads of the CIS member states, are kept.

Presenting souvenirs sometimes causes a lot of problems for the receiving side, especially so-called spontaneous gifts, when, without warning the guest's protocol service, a foreign visitor suddenly decides to personally give the president a memorable gift. Such actions of foreign guests baffle the security service, which does not have time to check the contents of the gift. This happened, for example, when some Arab leaders personally presented swords made of Damascus steel to the Soviet leadership.

In international practice, it is customary to discuss the issue of presenting souvenirs and gifts in negotiations with the preparatory group. Usually the protocol services of both parties agree on the simultaneous transfer of souvenirs. Souvenirs of the host are delivered to the guest's residence and handed over to the representative of the protocol service of the foreign delegation. The guest protocol service, in turn, delivers souvenirs to the expedition of the president's protocol department.

When choosing gifts, it is customary to take into account the national traditions of the country that the guest represents, his age, health, hobbies and much more.

Gift wrapping should not be too flashy, aesthetic and neat. As a rule, they are wrapped in heavy paper of neutral tones and tied with colored ribbons. In some cases, the colors of the ribbons coincide with the colors of the national flag of the country giving the souvenirs.

A well-chosen gift sometimes becomes an important element in the implementation of international contacts at the highest level. For example, after Yeltsin presented the American president with candlesticks that fit well into the interior of the White House, Clinton sent him a letter of thanks. The American president was greatly pleased by the Gzhel porcelain figurine presented to him by Yeltsin depicting Clinton with a saxophone.

As I said, in the United States, a high-level government official does not have the right to take a gift that costs more than $ 250 (at one time it was $ 150). It is even customary there to publish lists of gifts presented to the president. It is clear that it is difficult to determine the value of these gifts, especially since even the protocol service through which they pass does not see them at all: after all, all gifts are handed over wrapped, and sometimes at a personal meeting. It so happened that we donated the silver things we received as a gift to Gokhran, and they returned them back to us: it turned out that the things were not silver and were of no value to Gokhran. By the way, some of our gifts, the same Kyrgyz saddle, I have not seen in the American lists.

Of the successful gifts, one can also name a samovar made by Tula masters presented to the Queen of England; Jacques Chirac, who speaks Russian, was given a complete collection of Pushkin's works; for photography lover Hashimoto - an album of photographs dedicated to the restoration of the Kremlin.

Serious miscalculations of the protocol service of the head of state are associated with gifts. In Denver, for example, all the heads of state of the G8 were presented with a Rolex with diamonds worth either 50 or 60 thousand dollars. This was not a gift from the President of the United States, but from a manufacturing company. Almost all the heads of the G8, without saying a word, gave their watches back, including the Russian and American presidents.

Subtleties of receiving foreign delegations. Meeting foreign guests at the Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports How to properly meet the delegation at the airport

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