| Soviet Ambassador to the United States Alexander Troyanovsky (January 13, 1882 – June 23, 1955) stands with his wife Nina Troyanovskaya (November 27, 1892 – 19561) and son Oleg Troyanovsky (November 24, 1919 – December 21, 2003) after their arrival. Alexander Troyanovsky, the 1st Soviet ambassador to the United States, was right on hand at New York on January 17, 1934, when the Steamship Olympic docked, to greet his wife and son, who came over to join him in Washington. The United States and Great Britain, fearful that the Soviet Union’s revolution would spread to their own countries during the Great Depression, held off recognizing the USSR until the thirties. From November 20, 1933, to October 1, 1938, Troyanovsky served as the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Soviet Union in the United States. The presentation of credentials to United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), took place not 2 weeks after his arrival, which was the usual procedure, but the day after Troyanovsky’s arrival in Washington, which was evidence of Roosevelt’s desire to emphasize special respect and attention to the Soviet Union. Welcoming Troyanovsky, Roosevelt expressed his satisfaction at the appointment to the post of Soviet ambassador to Washington “a man known for his friendly attitude towards the United States.” The years of Troyanovsky’s tenure as Plenipotentiary Representative of the Soviet Union were years of formation of Soviet-American relations and the 1st steps towards cooperation in the trade, economic, scientific and cultural fields. Troyanovsky played an important role in the conclusion of the 1935 Soviet-American trade agreement, which was renewed annually in subsequent years. Roosevelt once joked at 1 of the receptions in the White House: “If Mr. Troyanovsky says, looking at the moon, that this is the sun, I personally, gentlemen, will believe him…” Addressed as “Madame Troyanovsky” in the American Press, Nina Troyanovskaya stated at the time, “We will be able to receive, officially of course, only when we live in the new embassy—-they have promised to have it ready in about 6 weeks. “In general, I have found here a very friendly attitude, a feeling of warmth and of hospitality. If there is any such attitude, I myself have not sensed any feeling of hostility. All Russians are much interested in America now and are watching it closely.” He had direct access to Stalin, to whom he reported on the strengths of American life that were considered to be adopted by the Soviet Union. In his reports from Washington he advocated rapprochement with the United States in the face of the threat of Nazism. Oleg Troyanovsky attended American schools during his father’s residency in Washington and later was ambassador of the Soviet Union to Japan and China and was the Soviet Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1976 to 1986. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0512.jpg |
| Image Size | 216.77 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 965 x 1297 |
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| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 17, 1934 |
| Location | |
| City | New York |
| State or Province | New York |
| Country | United States |
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| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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