Vitaly Churkin

Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin (Russian: Виталий Иванович Чуркин; 21 February 1952 – 20 February 2017) was a Russian diplomat and former child actor. He was the Ambassador of Russia to the United Nations from 1 May 2006 until his death. He was also the Ambassador of Russia to Belgium from 1994 to 1998.

Churkin in June 2015

Churkin was born in Moscow. He acted in movies as a child with his famous role being as Fedka the peasant boy in A Mother's Heart (1967). He spoke Russian, Mongolian, French and English.

Churkin died on 20 February 2017 in New York City, United States. He died one day before his 65th birthday.^[1] The cause was heart failure, according to Russian diplomat Sergei Ordzhonikidze.^[2]