©Olga Baird His Excellency Count Woronzow the Russian Ambassador and the Hardware Man: the history of a friendship Matthew Boulton started to promote his Soho Manufactory and its products as soon as it was built in 1762. Within a few years, even before establishing the partnership with James Watt, Soho became a ‘must see’ for travellers. The first Russian visitors to Soho appeared as early as August 1767, when Boulton wrote to his agent: ‘I have French and Spaniards today; and tomorrow I shall have Germans, Russians and Norwegians.’ 1 Foreign guests usually came to Soho with introductory letters from their Embassy. In his turn, Matthew Boulton was keen on expanding business with the Continent, and the most practical way was to do it through Embassies. During the Soho history of Matthew Boulton’s era (1762-1809), five ambassadors represented Russia in England. Alexander Woronzow (1741-1805) served at the beginning of this period, his brother Semyon (1744-1832) - at the end. Alexander held his post from 1762-1764, but did not leave any mark on the Soho business. The first links between the Russian Embassy and Soho were established by his successor, Alexei Semyonovich Moussin-Pushkin (1730-1817), who was accredited from 1765 to 1779 with two short gaps. During his period Russo-British cultural relations broadened significantly. Moussin-Pushkin appears to have been one of the earliest of Boulton’s Russian contacts. In 1770, he came to Soho in order to acquire pieces for the Empress Catherine 2 , and started to steer his countrymen towards Birmingham. In 1771 Matthew Boulton wrote: ‘I am very much obliged to Your Excellency for the honour you intended me and done to our manufacture in causing it to be visited by some Princes and Nobles from Russia. ’ 3 Moussin-Pushkin visited Soho again in late 1777-early 1778, when he was shown a new steam engine, probably ‘Old Bess’. Boulton was welcome at Moussin-Pushkin’s London residence,