The diplomatic service of the Russian state and receptions of ambassadors in Kolomenskoye and Izmailovo in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries

The article introduces readers to the history, structure, features and evolution of Russian court ceremonial and ambassadorial receptions at the Royal residences in Kolomenskoye and Izmailovo during the XVII-early XVIII centuries. The article traces the origins of the Russian diplomatic ceremony, reveals the structure and characteristics of the ambassadorial custom in the Moscow state, identifies the role of the Russian foreign Ministry and its leaders in creating the image of the state in the international arena. The article presents the main "milestones" of the history of foreign and domestic policy of Russia in the XVII- early XVIII centuries, shows the relationship and mutual influence of Russian, European and Asian traditions in court ceremonial as a tool in solving political, cultural and other problems of international character.