Karelin, V. Russian envoys in Kristiania, 1905-1917. Three incomplete portraits // Caution & compliance : Norwegian-Russian diplomatic relations, 1814-2014 / Kari Aga Myklebost & Stian Bones (eds.). - Stamsund : Orkana akademisk, 2012. – Vol. 1. - S. 61-70.

Faculty of Law at Moscow University. Arsenev had a life-long interest in academic activi­ ties. For example, he studied for three years at the St. Petersburg Institute of Archeology and graduated with a silver medal. We know very little about where and how Gulkevich gained his education. Nevertheless, Petr Savitskii, his collaborator in Norway and young friend, emphasizes in his memoirs that Gulkevich’s knowledge was excellent. The same impression is to be found with all his colleagues. Indirectly it is confirmed by the fact of his close and long-standing friendship with the well-known philologist Olaf Broch and also the outstanding mathematician Aleksander Chuprov. Krupenskii, Arsenev and Gulkevich all had perfect skills in the principal European lan­ guages, something which was quite common for tsarist diplomats. But none of them were any good at Norwegian. Only Gulkevich made any serious effort to learn Norwegian, in order to communicate in the best possible way with those with whom he had dealings among local politicians, businessmen and public leaders. P ol it ical views and sympathies The political views of these three figures were in many respects determined by their social origins, their way of life and aristocratic surroundings. Both Krupenskii and Arsenev held moderately conservative views. Both were monarchists and argued for the preservation of gentry privileges. However, it should be noted that they also realized that temperate politi­ cal and social reforms were inevitable. Their views were close to the political programme conducted by Petr Stolypin’s government. Moreover, Arsenev also professed somewhat Slavophile views. By contrast to Krupenskii and Arsenev, Gulkevich supported more radical political views. His ideas were close to the programme of the political party headed by Pavel Miliukov, promoting freedom for the people. Thus it is not surprising that Gulkevich and Miliukov became close friends in 1916, when Miliukov travelled to Norway. Petr Savitsky defined Gulkevich’s views as democratic (in terms of political democracy), and Gulkevich’s personal ideals were quite in line with the Norwegian democratic and parliamentarian political system. This fact per­ haps helps to explain Gulkevich’s specifically warm feelings towards Norway. Gulkevich was also a Russian Freemason, and kept in contact with Kuskova and Prokopovich, well-known in historical literature for their close ties with Freemasonry. The Freemason organization in Russia between 1905 and 1917 played a rather political role (see studies by Professor Vitalii Startsev). At the same time, however, we have to recognize that this aspect of Gulkevich’s activity and political views is still unclear and needs to be examined in more detail. P rofessional careers and exper ience In pre-revolutionary Russia there were no special educational institutions to train diplomats. Before being sent to Russian diplomatic institutions abroad, young candidates for the dip- - 6 4 -