˝We have a front, we have our own diplomatic front˝

On the basis of little-known archival sources the contribution of Russian diplomacy to the creation of conditions for securing international agreements between the USSR and the Allies in order to bring the Second World War to an early end is considered. The thesis about the importance of continuity of historical lessons of outstanding Russian diplomats of previous time periods, whose invaluable experience in protecting and defending the national interests and power of the Russian state was in demand in the foreign policy of the USSR during the war of 1941-1945 is also actualized. Sources. The article is based on the documents and materials of the fonds of the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI), first of all: the fonds of I.V. Stalin (F.558. Op.11. D.1693. Crimean Conference); V.M. Molotov (diplomatic diaries) (F.82. Op.2. D.1027); Fond159, G.V. Chicherin proper, Central Archive of Social and Political History of Moscow (CA OPIM) People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. Minutes of meetings of the bureaus of the assigned cells. Personal files (F.P192. Op.1. D.16), as well as published declassified documents from the funds of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the OHR of the Russian Federation for the 75th anniversary of the preparations for the Yalta Conference of the Allied Powers (posted in 2020 on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation). Historiography. The study of foreign policy problems and the history of diplomacy has always been present both in the works of historians of the Soviet school and historians who have been studying the problem in the post-Soviet period. First of all, this refers to fundamental and multi -volume editions, as well as collections of published archival documents and materials, prepared at different times by large teams of scholars and specialists of archives. The historiography of international issues is also enriched by monographic publications. A significant contribution to the historiography of the problem was made by scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dipacademy, MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and the Archive of Foreign Policy of Russia. In the center of foreign policy research are invariably present materials belonging to outstanding Russian diplomats A.M. Gorchakov and G.V. Chicherin (See: Chicherin G.V. Historical sketch of diplomatic activity of A.M. Gorchakov / G.V. Chicherin; Russian Academy of Sciences, Department of Historical and Philological Sciences, Institute of General History, Russian State Historical Archive. - Moscow: Lyubimaya Rossiya, 2009. - 550 с.). Methods. In accordance with archaeographical requirements, we worked with different types of archival primary sources using methods of comparison with other information materials, as well as the method of alternatives.