8 July 2015. Career timeline 1974 – Graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations 1974 – Joined the USSR Foreign Ministry 1974–1979 – Staff member of the USSR delegation to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks 1979–1982 – Third secretary, US desk, USSR Foreign Ministry 1981 – PhD in history from the USSR Diplomatic Academy 1982–1987 – Second, first secretary, USSR Embassy in Washington DC 1985 – Undertook a speaking tour of United States universities invited by USGov 1987–1989 – Staff member, International Department, CPSU Central Committee 1989–1990 – Special adviser to the USSR Minister of Foreign Affairs 1990–1991 – Director, Information Department, Spokesman of the USSR Foreign Ministry 1992–1994 – Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the talks on Former Yugoslavia 1994–1998 – Ambassador of Russia to Belgium, Liaison Ambassador to NATO and WEU 1998–2003 – Ambassador of Russia to Canada 2003 – April 2006 – Ambassador-at-Large, MFA, Chairman of Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council, Senior Official of Russia at the Barents/Euro-Arctic Council 8 April 2006 – Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, Representative of the Russian Federation at the UN Security Council Diplomatic rank — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1990) Death Churkin died in New York City on 20 February 2017, the eve of his 65th birthday. The immediate cause was heart failure, according to Russian diplomat Sergei Ordzhonikidze. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Churkin died while at work and expressed condolences to Churkin's family. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, also expressed his condolences, calling Churkin a "friend" and a "stalwart diplomat". Former President Barack Obama's UN Ambassador, Samantha Power, tweeted that she was "devastated" and described Churkin as a "diplomatic maestro" who did all he could to bridge U.S.-Russia differences. Britain's ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, tweeted that he was "absolutely devastated", describing Churkin as "a diplomatic giant & wonderful character". On 21 February 2017, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office released the preliminary results of an autopsy performed on Churkin, which states that the cause of death needed further study, which often indicates the need for toxicology tests. A gag order pursuant to a request of the U.S. State Department and the United States Mission to the United Nations suppressed public disclosure of the cause and manner of death, citing Churkin's posthumous diplomatic immunity; Russia maintained