St Petersburg University experts present research projects in Iranian studies

Artem Andreev, Director of the Centre for the Study of the Islamic Republic of Iran at St Petersburg University, welcomed the participants of the meeting. In his address, Artem Andreev stressed the importance of sharing views and perspectives for deeper understanding of the cultural, political and socio-economic processes of Iran-Russia relations. He also noted that such meetings promote mutual understanding and productive dialogue between the academic communities of the two countries.

Our relations with the University of Isfahan have been quite productive. Interestingly, Isfahan is considered the cultural capital of Iran just as St Petersburg is regarded the cultural capital of Russia. Our acquaintance with Iranian colleagues was a success, and we hope to expand our fruitful collaboration in the study of the history of diplomatic relations between Russia and Iran.

Artem Andreev, Director of the Centre for the Study of the Islamic Republic of Iran at St Petersburg University

Artem Andreev presented the findings of the research project "The Documentary History of the Russian Strand of Safavid Diplomacy (1501-1722)". The project was conducted by St Petersburg University researchers from 2018 to 2023, with the support from the Russian Science Foundation. The researchers studied historical documents from the Collection of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts: Shah’s letters; petitions; and travel documents of the Persian merchants and ambassadors dating back to the 17th century. These primary sources were translated from Farsi and Turkic into Russian by the research team members. All in all, more than 20 research papers covering the details of relations between Russia and the Safavid state have been published.

A team of St Petersburg University scholars prepared for publication a volume entitled "Persian Diplomatic Documents from the Times of Shah Safi I from the Collection of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts".

Artem Andreev also spoke about the sources studied during the research project, the specifics of historical and archival work and underlined the importance of international cooperation in the study of diplomatic history. "In the first quarter of the 18th century, the Safavid capital Isfahan was overrun by Afghan invaders. During the invasion, most of the official documents related to the Safavid dynasty ruling were lost. For this reason, the original Persian official documents preserved in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts are of particular value. The books by Iranian chroniclers and manuscripts created in that era are especially valuable. They contain unique information, including descriptions of historical events, sometimes supplemented by pieces of medieval poetry. These documents feature special design and many other interesting things," explained Artem Andreev, Director of the Centre for the Study of the Islamic Republic of Iran at St Petersburg University.

The Centre for the Study of the Islamic Republic of Iran at St Petersburg University was established in 2018 to develop academic and scientific links with Iranian universities and state organisations.

Vladimir Shorokhov, Candidate of History, Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Regional Studies at St Petersburg University, spoke about another research project supported by the Russian Science Foundation — "The history of the Iranian vector of Russian diplomacy in the 17th century based on archival sources". Dina Kopaneva, Assistant Professor in the Department of History of Slavic and Balkan Countries at St Petersburg University, is the Principal Investigator of this project. The main research focus of the project is the history of Russian diplomatic missions to Iran. The scholars are analysing the development of political and trade relations between the two countries in the 17th century based on Russian archival sources. Vladimir Shorokhov noted that the project will not only contribute to a deeper understanding of the historical aspects of Iran-Russia relations, but will also present new data that have been previously unavailable due to the lack of systematic research of the relevant sources. 

Olga Yastrebova, Associate Professor in the Department of Persian Philology at St Petersburg University and Research Associate at the Manuscripts Department of the National Library of Russia, shared with the colleagues from the University of Isfahan her findings about the structure of diplomatic interactions between the Safavid state and foreign countries and the standard forms of official correspondence. Olga Yastrebova highlighted the key elements used in the official correspondence adopted in the period and offered a detailed classification of the Shah’s court paperwork and records. 

During the meeting, Dr Hamidreza Pashazanous, Professor of the University of Isfahan, presented the latest collections of documentary sources on Safavid history published in the Islamic Republic of Iran. He drew special attention to the manuscript heritage of the chroniclers who were contemporaries of Shah Abbas I, Shah Safi I and Shah Abbas II. Dr Pashazanous stressed the importance of such documentary sources, as the chroniclers provide a unique perspective on the events and cultural development of the country in conjunction with their personal observations.

Dr Nozhat Ahmadi, Professor of the University of Isfahan, presented the findings of her study on the role and status of women in Safavid Iran. Despite many stereotypes about women’s position in traditional Eastern societies, women had a higher social status in Iran; and female literacy rates were significantly higher compared to other countries.

Dr Ahmadi noted that women in Safavid Iran had access to education. They were politically and publicly active and could influence cultural and even political aspects of public life. They could own and manage property, which was uncommon in many other regions at the time. Dr Ahmadi emphasised that understanding the socio-cultural aspects of Safavid Iran expands our knowledge of the role of women in the history of the Safavid dynasty and in the general context of women’s emancipation in the East. 

At the end of the video conference, the participants agreed to continue cooperation and assistance in the publication activities. The meeting also discussed the possibility of organising joint seminars, lectures and workshops, which will enable the scholars not only to share research findings but also to develop new approaches to the study of Iranian history. "We would like to expand our cooperation with our colleagues in Iran, including in Isfahan. Our immediate plans include studying and analysing the broad system of international relations of that time, which was quite different from the Westphalian state system — much more dynamic and far-reaching. We also aim to determine the place of Russia and Iran in it," shared Artem Andreev.