On February 21, 2017, employees of the All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM) laid flowers at the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of RF on the Smolenskaya square in memory of Vitaly Churkin, Russian permanent representative to the United Nations.
The Russian diplomat died suddenly in New York City on 20 February 2017, on the eve of his 65th birthday.
Vitaly I. Churkin was born on 21 February 1952 in Moscow in the family of aviation design engineer. He engaged in diplomatic work since 1974. Since 8 April 2006 he served as Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York City and was representative of RF in the United Nations Security Council.