The article analyzes the problem of material support for the first permanent Russian diplomatic missions in countries such as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark. On the basis of the material presented the money that the heads of embassies were given, information about from whom, to what extent, and for what purpose it were spent can be revealed. The author concludes that since the end of the XVII century till the beginning of the XVIII century the financing system of permanent diplomatic missions of Russia begins to emerge. The funds received consisted of money proper and natural renditions (fur, clothes, provision for people and forage for the horses). The foreign governments also allocated the funds for the Russian diplomatic missions, but ambassadors worked with the help of financial support from Moscow. The funds never were enough. “Residents” (the ambassadors) in the XVII century, as well as at the beginning of the XVIII century complained to Moscow that they were forced to borrow money, sell things (V. M. Tyapkin) or to cover the huge costs from the funds received from its own holdings in Russia (A. A. Matveyev). Money went not only to the upkeep of the embassies themselves, but also for the purchase of the necessary information, bribing the right people and rewards for Russian ambassadors for the services rendered to the government services. Bribery at the time was the usual diplomatic techniques to carry out propaganda and create a favorable impression abroad about their state, to acquire the necessary partners