CHICHERIN, GEORGHY VASILIEVICH (1872 1936), Russian statesman, the son of an official in the ministry for foreign affairs, was born in Karaul, province of Tambov. He was educated at a Russian Higher school, and at St. Peters burg (Leningrad) university, and entered the diplomatic service in the archives department of the foreign office. From 1897 on ward he was gradually drawn into the revolutionary movement. He resigned from the diplomatic service in 1904, renouncing his estates, and went to Berlin, where he followed closely the Ger man Social-Democratic movement. He was at first attached to the Russian socialist-revolutionary party, but later joined the social-democratic party. He was prevented by illness from tak ing part in the revolution in 1905. He spent 12 years in revolu tionary activities in London, Paris and Berlin, being elected sec retary of the foreign central bureau of the Russian Social-Demo cratic party in 1907. In the same year he was arrested in Berlin for the possession of a false passport, and banished from Prussia. During the World War he assisted the anti-war Labour elements in Great Britain, and organized the relief of Russian political refugees, a philanthropic work which had a revolutionary aspect in maintaining contact with Russian revolutionaries. After the Bolshevik revolution in November, when Russia was no longer considered an ally, but an enemy, Chicherin was imprisoned in Brixton gaol on the ground of "enemy associations." On Jan. 3, 1918 he was exchanged for Sir George Buchanan by the Soviet Government, and banished from England. He returned to Rus sia, and was appointed People's Commissary for foreign affairs in March 1918. In 1922 he headed the Soviet delegation to the conference at Genoa (April io-May 19) (q.v.), of which the unexpected result was a separate treaty between Soviet Russia and Germany. Chicherin conducted Russian policy continuously, from 1918 to 1930, having a longer tenure of office than any contemporary European foreign minister. (For the policy for which he was responsible during this period, see RUSSIA.)