Konstantin van Vloten set up an office in Strijthagen Castle, owned by his friend, the artist Alexander Taratynov. The diplomat called the big war in Ukraine a “mission of peace” and believed that Russia had been “too soft” for the past 30 years.
Honorary Consul of Russia in the Netherlands Konstantin van Vloten will leave Strijthagen Castle in Landgraaf. The building has housed the consulate’s office since early February, De Volkskrant reported March 2.
“The Russian ambassador decided that the consulate should no longer be located in the castle,” explained its owner, artist Alexander Taratynov, who has Russian and Dutch citizenship.
Taratynov is an acquaintance of van Vloten. He complained about the threats of activists who promised to destroy the estate of his estate and works of his art if the consulate of the Russian Federation did not vacate the castle. Landgraaf City Hall received complaints from local residents and politicians.
Strijthagen Castle in Landgraaf belongs to the artist Alexander Taratynov
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Van Vloten publicly supported the moves of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In one of last year’s interviews with the Dutch media, he called Russia’s full-scale war with Ukraine a “peace mission.” In his opinion, Russia has been “too soft” for the past 30 years.
After these statements, the Maastricht city council, where the consulate was previously located, banned its activities.
In February, Taratynov decided to place the consulate in his castle, but did not formalize this on paper. The artist considers it important even during the war that Russia and the Netherlands maintain relations and would like to offer people the opportunity for dialogue in the castle, the journalists point out.
According to the publication, last week several Russian diplomats were told to leave the Netherlands. The trade mission of the Russian Federation in Amsterdam was closed, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allowed the consulate to move to Landgraaf.
Van Vloten lives in the castle with his wife Catherine, the consulate is located in the municipality, which receives more than a hundred refugees from Ukraine, Limburger added.
Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in the Netherlands served the palaces
Konstantin van Vloten is a Russian businessman whose companies provided catering services in St. Petersburg. In an interview with the Nieuwsblad newspaper on March 15, 2014, he said that he served the Pavlovsk and Catherine’s Palaces, the complex of greenhouses and Peterhof Park, the State Russian Museum and the Menshikov Palace, a branch of the famous Hermitage.
In Belgium, he bought the 18th century Château de la Mothe and lived there for about 20 years. Van Vloten is familiar with the former president, deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, the authors noted.
Recall that Polish and Ukrainian activists in Warsaw, on the anniversary of the big invasion on February 24, held a rally near the building where employees of the Russian embassy live. The activists woke them up with explosions and alarms.
On February 2, the Austrian government decided to expel 4 Russian diplomats, their actions were recognized as incompatible with the diplomatic status.
In December last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday appointed a new Ukrainian ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk. The media wrote that she had never been associated with diplomacy and called herself a “specialist in sexology and jewelry.”
