224:, as the only member of Embassy staff left in London after the departure of the previous Charge d’Affaires Lizakevich, and served in this capacity until 1801. This appointment of a priest as head of an embassy was a unique case in Russian diplomatic history. Though Smirnov carried out his diplomatic duties and maintained contact with the Foreign Office, he never received and presented letters of credence and was only recognized as de facto envoy. Between 1807 and 1812, while
190:
Born in a priest's family in
Kharkov in 1754. His surname at birth was Linitsky, Smirnov being a translation of the original name, supposedly derived from the Latin word for “quiet” into Russian. After studies in Kharkov and England he was posted as the priest of the Russian Embassy Church in London
253:
Yakov
Ivanovich had three brothers (two of whom were ennobled for their services) and several sisters. Little is known about his wife, even the year of marriage and her death date are unknown. Yakov Smirnov had 5 children: Konstantin (1782-?), Elizabeth (1788-1869), Sophia (1791-1852), John (Ivan)
191:
in 1780 and remained in this position until 1837, when he retired due to poor health. Besides his duties as priest, he was involved in almost all the activities of the
Embassy: he took care of the Russian students studying in Britain and even paid their fees, helped the Ambassador
195:
to compile the diplomatic dispatches and gathered valuable information. Smirnov was a polymath who had a deep interest in many branches of science and agriculture and made sure the
British achievements were known in Russia. He made sure the
270:
was restored in 2012 with a donation of the
Russian Embassy and individual contributions from Embassy staff and Russian community . Flowers are laid annually on 10 February (Russian Diplomats Day). . The archpriest features in
244:
Smirnov was ennobled in 1804, awarded
Russian orders of St. Anne (2nd class) and St. John of Jerusalem, as well as a special cross for clergy in memory of the 1812 War and a diamond ring as gift of Emperor Alexander I.
258:. In 1836-1842 he was Russian Consul General in Genoa and is buried there. The three daughters remained single, lived in London and were buried in Kensal Green Cemetery with their father.
471:
228:, he took care of the Russian community in London and of the Embassy assets and papers, once again acting as Russia's diplomatic representative in London. In December 1812, after the
481:
466:
461:
496:
491:
476:
486:
396:
436:
354:
276:
225:
275:’s short story “Old quills” which deals with the successful public opinion campaign carried out by the Russian Embassy during the
254:(1794-1842), Catherine (1798-1872). John became a Russian diplomat, in 1825-32 he served in London and was elected Fellow of the
175:
197:
229:
221:
220:
struck an alliance with France, the relations with
Britain worsened. In 1800 Smirnov was appointed as Russian
412:
A. G. Cross, “Yakov
Smirnov: A Russian Priest of Many Parts,” Oxford Slavonic Papers, new ser., 8 P. 37–52.
179:
145:
267:
432:
A.Loyevskaya. Serving
Motherland. Yakov Smirnov, an Orthodox priest in London (1780-1840) (in Russian)
456:
451:
233:
209:
60:
431:
323:
426:
20:
295:
217:
201:
192:
133:
324:"A.Loyevskaya. Serving Motherland. Yakov Smirnov, an Orthodox priest in London (1780-1840)"
213:
272:
205:
64:
212:
during the latter's stay in London. Smirnov introduced
Vorontsov to the industrialist
445:
340:
255:
437:
A.Orlov. Priest Yakov Ivanovich Smirnov: 60 years of service in London (in Russian)
32:
232:, Smirnov transferred the keys of the Embassy to the new Ambassador, Prince
368:
178:
16 April] 1840), also known in Britain as James Smirnove, was a
382:
204:'s telescope to be shipped to St. Petersburg. Smirnov was a friend of
421:
82:
355:"Priest Yakov Ivanovich Smirnov: 60 years of service in London)"
200:
was subscribed to new British scientific works and arranged for
171:
16:
18th and 19th-century Russian Orthodox priest and diplomat
157:
archpriest, dean of the Russian Embassy church in London
182:
priest and diplomat who served in London for 60 years.
226:
state of war was declared between Russia and Britain
151:
141:
127:
115:
107:
90:
71:
49:
30:
472:Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class
111:Konstantin, Elizabeth, Sophia, John, Catherine
8:
482:Ambassadors of Russia to the United Kingdom
369:"History of the Russian Consulate in Genoa"
279:. No portrait of James Smirnove survives.
27:
315:
288:
341:"Count Woronzow and the Hardware Man)"
467:18th-century Eastern Orthodox priests
462:19th-century Eastern Orthodox priests
7:
19:For other people named Smirnov, see
497:Russian people of Ukrainian descent
266:The monument on Smirnov's grave in
208:and helped the Venezuelan patriot
14:
492:Russian Eastern Orthodox priests
477:Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
487:People from Kharkov Governorate
1:
383:"Russian Embassy in London)"
198:Russian Academy of Sciences
513:
18:
299:
230:French invasion of Russia
216:When the Russian Emperor
161:
123:
42:
54:Yakov Ivanovich Linitsky
43:
422:Russian Embassy website
168:Yakov Ivanovich Smirnov
146:Russian Orthodox Church
427:Grave at Kensal Green
300:Яков Иванович Смирнов
268:Kensal Green Cemetery
44:Яков Иванович Смирнов
234:Christoph von Lieven
210:Francisco de Miranda
174:–28 April [
61:Kharkov Governorate
222:Chargé d’Affaires
165:
164:
79:(aged 85–86)
504:
401:
400:
393:
387:
386:
379:
373:
372:
365:
359:
358:
351:
345:
344:
337:
331:
330:
328:
320:
303:
301:
293:
202:William Herschel
193:Semyon Vorontsov
180:Russian Orthodox
137:
134:Eastern Orthodox
78:
28:
512:
511:
507:
506:
505:
503:
502:
501:
442:
441:
418:
410:
405:
404:
395:
394:
390:
381:
380:
376:
367:
366:
362:
353:
352:
348:
339:
338:
334:
326:
322:
321:
317:
312:
307:
306:
294:
290:
285:
264:
251:
242:
214:Matthew Boulton
188:
154:
131:
103:
86:
80:
76:
67:
58:
56:
55:
45:
38:
35:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
510:
508:
500:
499:
494:
489:
484:
479:
474:
469:
464:
459:
454:
444:
443:
440:
439:
434:
429:
424:
417:
416:External links
414:
409:
406:
403:
402:
397:"Russian MFA)"
388:
374:
360:
346:
332:
314:
313:
311:
308:
305:
304:
287:
286:
284:
281:
277:Ochakov crisis
273:Valentin Pikul
263:
260:
250:
247:
241:
238:
206:Jeremy Bentham
187:
184:
163:
162:
159:
158:
155:
152:
149:
148:
143:
139:
138:
132:Christianity (
129:
125:
124:
121:
120:
117:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
102:
101:
98:
94:
92:
88:
87:
81:
73:
69:
68:
65:Russian Empire
59:
53:
51:
47:
46:
40:
39:
36:
31:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
509:
498:
495:
493:
490:
488:
485:
483:
480:
478:
475:
473:
470:
468:
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
449:
447:
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
425:
423:
420:
419:
415:
413:
407:
398:
392:
389:
384:
378:
375:
370:
364:
361:
356:
350:
347:
342:
336:
333:
325:
319:
316:
309:
297:
292:
289:
282:
280:
278:
274:
269:
261:
259:
257:
256:Royal Society
248:
246:
239:
237:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
194:
185:
183:
181:
177:
173:
169:
160:
156:
150:
147:
144:
140:
135:
130:
126:
122:
119:Ivan Linitsky
118:
114:
110:
106:
99:
96:
95:
93:
89:
84:
75:16 April 1840
74:
70:
66:
62:
52:
48:
41:
37:Yakov Smirnov
34:
29:
26:
22:
411:
391:
377:
363:
349:
335:
318:
291:
265:
252:
243:
189:
167:
166:
153:Offices held
77:(1840-04-16)
33:The Reverend
25:
457:1840 deaths
452:1754 births
91:Occupations
446:Categories
408:Literature
310:References
128:Religion
108:Children
100:diplomat
296:Russian
21:Smirnov
262:Memory
249:Family
240:Awards
218:Paul I
142:Church
116:Parent
97:Cleric
83:London
327:(PDF)
283:Notes
186:Life
176:O.S.
172:1754
85:, UK
72:Died
57:1754
50:Born
448::
298::
236:.
63:,
399:.
385:.
371:.
357:.
343:.
329:.
302:.
170:(
136:)
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.