History

Hospitality is Our Profession

Since the times of Ivan the Terrible, the reception of foreign diplomats, conditions of their stay in the host country have been an important element of Russia’s foreign policy. As Posolsky Prikaz, a special body handling external relations, was established in 1549, the State undertook securing comfort and safety for the embassies and merchants. In 1556 when Tsar Ivan the Terrible rented out the building on today’s Varvarka Street to English political and trade representatives, it laid the groundwork for activities of specialized institutions providing official missions with all they needed.

The Soviet Labor and Defense Council founded the world’s first specialized agency serving the needs of foreign missions on August 24, 1921, the Central Expatriate Service Bureau (Burobin)was set up within NKID, the Soviet Foreign Office. Burobin evolved performing its functions over different periods in history, however, its focus ever was to secure living and working convenience to expatriates in this country.

In July 1947, Burobin was reorganized into the Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps under the Soviet Foreign Ministry (UpDK) which, in turn, was transformed into the Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps in 1988.

Soviet Council of Ministers’ Resolution No. 640 “On Measures to Improve Services for Diplomatic and Other Foreign Representations in the USSR” determined the major tasks GlavUpDK was to fulfill, that is, to meet Russia’s international commitments regarding accommodation of foreign missions and, consequently, to secure the appropriate standards of housing maintenance.

The ever growing importance of the activities of GlavUpDK was confirmed by the Russian President’s Decree 1974 of November 22, 1993 “On Some Issues Regarding Accommodation and Servicing of Foreign Representative Offices in Moscow” as well as Decree 1009 of August 4, 2004, according to which GlavUpDK was listed among strategic agencies.

180+ embassies and foreign rep offices, more than 175 media bureaus and 2000 Russian and foreign companies use the services of the Hospitality Ministry, as GlavUpDK is often dubbed.

GlavUpDK History Museum

The permanent expo is located at the head office at 20, Prechistenka in Moscow.