George Bakhmeteff

George Petrovich Bakhmeteff (Russian: Георгий Петрович Бахметев; 1847 – 29 August 1928) was the last Imperial Russian Ambassador to the United States. He served in office between 1911 and 1917.

Origins He was a career diplomat who descended from a Tatar noble family which had converted from Islam to the Russian Orthodox faith. Generations of the Bakhmeteff nobility had served under the Czars within the military and civil service. Previous to his service for Russia in Washington he had served as the Russian Ambassador to Japan.

Personal life

He was married to Mary Beale, the daughter of a popular Washington social couple Ambassador and Mrs. Edward Fitzgerald Beale. The Beales were the owners of Decatur House in Washington and Tejon Ranch. His brother in law was American Ambassador to the Balkans Truxtun Beale. His sister in law was Emily Beale McLean who was married to John Roll McLean publisher of the Washington Post. George Bakhmeteff was succeeded as ambassador by another Bakhmeteff; Boris Bakhmeteff who was not closely related.

He died on 29 August 1928 in Paris, probably at the Hôtel de Besenval, where he still resided in the second half of the 1920s.