MOSCOW. JUNE 2, 2026. PIR PRESS. «I ask my students at MGIMO: ‘Name the only arms control treaty in the entire history of bilateral relations between the USSR/Russia and the United States that was not only signed and ratified, but also fully implemented by both parties.’ My students are well prepared – and they have the internet to help them. ‘START I,’ they reply. ‘And who headed our delegation? Who brought this landmark agreement – so vital for our interests and security – to its conclusion?’ ‘Ambassador Nazarkin’», – from the foreword by Dr. Vladimir Orlov, PIR Center Founding Director, to Yuri Nazarkin’s book On START, on Africa, on Life: Memoirs of a Diplomat.
On May 24, 2026, Yuri Konstantinovich Nazarkin – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR and Russia, retired diplomat, outstanding scholar, and expert in international security – passed away at the age of 95.
We have lost a man whose name is inseparably linked with some of the most significant chapters of Russian diplomacy in the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century.
For more than forty years, Yuri Konstantinovich devoted his life to serving his country in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and Russia, as well as in the Security Council of the Russian Federation. A Candidate of Historical Sciences and an honorary doctor of international relations, he made a substantial contribution to the development of the international legal framework for arms control and the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Yuri Konstantinovich took part directly in negotiations on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the Seabed Arms Control Treaty, and other key international agreements.
A special place in his biography is occupied by his work on negotiations between the USSR and the United States on nuclear and space weapons. From 1989 to 1991, Yuri Konstantinovich headed the Soviet delegation whose efforts led to the conclusion of the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, known as START I. He regarded this achievement as the most important in his professional life.
In his memoirs, he wrote: “It so happened that I had the opportunity to complete a process begun by my predecessors. Without in any way claiming their achievements as my own, I can nevertheless say that I consider the conclusion of the START I Treaty the main achievement of my professional life. The realization of this is my reward for all those sleepless nights spent in stifling, highly classified rooms where the future treaty was forged.”
After completing his public service, Yuri Konstantinovich remained actively engaged in academic and expert work. Living in Switzerland, he worked with international research and educational institutions, taught at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and participated in professional discussions on arms control and strategic stability.
For many years, Yuri Konstantinovich was a member of PIR Center’s Advisory Board. His deep knowledge, vast practical experience, and willingness to share them with younger researchers and diplomats earned him the well-deserved respect of colleagues and students alike. He consistently supported the development of professional dialogue on international security and nuclear nonproliferation.
During PIR Center working visits to Geneva, he always warmly welcomed Dr. Vladimir Orlov and other colleagues.
An important testament to his life and professional path is found in his memoirs Diplomatic Daily Life and Other Stories (2011), as well as in his most recent book, On START, on Africa, on Life: Memoirs of a Diplomat, published by PIR Center in 2024. This work is not only a personal account of major international events, but also a valuable historical document of its era.
Yuri Konstantinovich had also been working on a continuation of this book, which, unfortunately, he did not have time to publish.
Yuri Konstantinovich Nazarkin belonged to a generation of diplomats who, through their dedication, professionalism, and sense of responsibility, helped shape the foundations of international security during one of the most complex periods in Russian and world history.
His memory will endure not only in the immense legacy he and his generation left behind, but also in the hearts of his family, friends, colleagues, students, and all those who had the privilege of working with and knowing this remarkable man.
PIR Center website features a memorial gallery dedicated to Yuri Konstantinovich Nazarkin.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Yuri Konstantinovich Nazarkin.
May his memory be eternal.
Keywords: Memorial Gallery
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