From 1994 – 1996, Grinin was Director of the Fourth European Department at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when he was appointed by Boris Yeltsin as Ambassador of Russia to Austria in 1996, and held the post in Vienna until 2000. After this posting he returned to Moscow, and was appointed by Vladimir Putin as Ambassador of Russia to Finland in 2003, and held this post until 2006, when he was appointed as Ambassador of Russia to Poland. Since July 2010 until 31.12.2017 Grinin served as Ambassador of Russia to Germany in Berlin.