C. Onou

Constantin Mikhailovich Onou, usually identified as C. Onou in American diplomatic papers, was born in 1875 at Büyükdere in the Ottoman Empire. He belonged to a diplomatic family: his father Michel served in Constantinople and Athens, and his brothers Alexandre and André also entered diplomatic work. Constantin served as an embassy secretary in Constantinople and The Hague before arriving in Washington in August 1916. ¹

As chargé during the spring of 1917, Onou pressed the Russian Provisional Government’s requests for Allied assistance. In a May 1 letter to Robert Lansing, he sought American attention to the defense of Russia’s Arctic coast and asked that the Russian naval attaché, Captain Mishtowt, join Anglo-American naval discussions. ²

On May 9 he transmitted the plan for Boris Bakhmeteff’s extraordinary mission to the United States. The delegation would thank Washington for recognizing the Provisional Government and negotiate military, naval, financial, and railway matters. ³

During the civil war, Onou headed diplomatic work for the White armies associated with Generals Denikin and Wrangel. He subsequently advised the Russian mission in Constantinople, assisting White Russian refugees in 1920–23. Married to Catherine Bouteneff, he spent his later life in France and died at Clamart in November 1950. Family papers preserved by his wife provide a further record of their life in exile. ¹