Malcolm Rifkind — foreign secretary with roots in the Russian Empire
Sir Malcolm Rifkind is a British Conservative politician who served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1995-1997) and Secretary of State for Defence (1992-1995), among other Cabinet positions. One of the most experienced British diplomats of his generation.
Tracing the roots — Lithuania (Rus)
Born in Edinburgh in 1946 to parents of Lithuanian Jewish descent — his grandparents had emigrated from Lithuania (Russian Empire) to Scotland. Rifkind has spoken about his Jewish heritage and its importance to his identity. His family's journey from the Russian Empire's Lithuanian Jewish communities to the heights of British public life is a quintessential diaspora story.
His family emigrated from the Russian Empire (Lithuania) to Scotland.
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Lithuania (Rus). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.