Posyet's tenure of office was brought to an abrupt end by the Borki train disaster involving royal train of Alexander III. The aged minister was replaced, but remained active in the State Council of Imperial Russia until his death. He was a recipient of numerous Russian and foreign awards, including the Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class. In 1896, he emerged as a leading advocate for the restoration of the familiar white-blue-red tricolor as the official flag of Russia. Posyet bequeathed his extensive library and collections to the Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg. His grave is in the Novodevichy Cemetery in St. Petersburg.