Embassy of Russia, Washington, D.C.

In 1883, the Russian Empire starting using Boss Shepherd's mansion for their embassy.^[6] In 1913, the Russian Empire purchased Mrs. George Pullman House for $350,000 and moved their embassy there.^[7][8]

On November 16, 1933, after the signing of the Roosevelt-Litvinov Agreement where the United States recognized the Soviet Union and diplomatic relations between the two countries began, Mrs. George Pullman House became the Soviet Union Embassy.^[8]

In 1963, due to limited space at the location, the Soviets approached the U.S. government to find a new embassy location.^[9][10][11] Initial interests for Bonnie Brae Estate on 6036 Oregon Avenue, N.W. and Tregaron Estate as possible locations did not work out, so the U.S. State Department offered the Soviets Mount Alto which was accepted.^[11] On October 4, 1967, the Soviet Union and U.S. agreed in principle to dedicate the 12.5-acre federally owned property on Mount Alto for the Soviet Embassy and an 11.9-acre area in Moscow for the US Embassy.^[10][12]

Prior to the embassy construction, Mount Alto had a 1901 home built for William Jennings Bryan, the National School of Domestic Arts and Science for women built in 1917, and the Mount Alto Inn hotel.^[9][13][11] In 1920 the U.S. federal government purchased the land the buildings were on for $460,000 so it could use it for the Mount Alto Veterans Hospital for World War Iveterans - which was later relocated to Soldiers Home in 1965.^{[10][14][11][15]} After the October 4, 1967 principle agreement between the Soviets and the U.S., the unused hospital and local structures were razed by the U.S. General Services Administration to make way for the construction of the embassy.^[11]

On May 16, 1969, in Moscow, an official agreement called "Agreement for the Exchange of Sites" was signed by the Soviet Union and the U.S.^[16][12] The Mount Alto property was leased to the Soviets for an 85-year free lease, and the same was provided to the U.S. in regards to the land the US Embassy was on in Moscow.^[16][12]

On December 4, 1972, a second agreement called "Conditions of Construction Agreement" was signed by the Soviet Union and the U.S., which included: "site work, foundation and structure built by host country with its materials, and other systems of the buildings built using host country workers under owner’s supervision using owner’s choice of materials except inside finishing of top four floors constructed entirely by the owner."^[16][12] The agreement also stated that both chanceries should begin construction simultaneously and be occupied simultaneously.^[16][12] Under the current lease, the U.S. Office of Foreign Missions is the current owner of the land that the Russian embassy is on.^[17]

The embassy design was done by well-known Soviet architect Mikhail Posokhin, who designed the State Kremlin Palace and a number of other buildings in Moscow.^[5]John Carl Warnecke was the American architect assisting with drawing up plans for the embassy, while EDAW, which initially had been hired by the U.S. General Services Administration to do an environmental impact study of the location, would become a site planner in the construction.^[18][15] The embassy would be built in two phases.^[15]

In 1979, the first phase of construction was completed by George Hyman Construction Company involving a residential building, a school, a kindergarten, and a sports grounds.^[5][15]

In May 1985, the second phase of construction was completed by Whiting-Turner Contracting Company involving an 8-story administrative building, a 3-story consulate, and a 2-story ceremonial building.^[5][15] At completion the embassy cost approximately $62-$65 million.^[5][15]

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991, the embassy became the Russian Federation Embassy. In September 1994, during his visit to the United States, Russian president Boris Yeltsin and U.S. president Bill Clinton inaugurated the new ceremonial building of the Russian Embassy.^[5]