Tehran, Moscow agree to catalog Persian manuscripts at St. Petersburg library
Iranian Cultural Week to be held in Russia
Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Abbas Salehi agreed with the National Library of Russia (NLR) and the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts in St. Petersburg to compile a catalog of Persian manuscripts preserved in the country, according to the ministry.
The agreement was reached during Salehi’s visit to the 18th-century library, one of the world’s five largest public collections. The effort aims to document Persian-language manuscripts stored in Russia, expanding scholarly access and deepening research ties between Tehran and Moscow, IRNA reported.
Salehi toured the library’s historic halls, where shelves and interiors have remained largely unchanged since the late 1700s. He was accompanied by Denis O. Tsypkin, the library’s director, along with Iranian cultural officials.
The minister described the institution as a “treasure” and “heritage for humanity,” pointing to its role in preserving Iranian studies.
At a separate meeting in St. Petersburg, Iran and Russia also agreed to stage an Iranian Cultural Week in Russia in 2026, building on their expanding partnership in the arts and cultural exchange.
The proposal was tabled during talks between Salehi and Russia’s Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, who welcomed the initiative after the success of Russian Cultural Week in Iran earlier this year.
The Iranian minister traveled to St. Petersburg at the invitation of his Russian counterpart to address the XI St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum (September 10–13). During his trip, he also met senior Russian cultural officials, visited the State Hermitage Museum, and attended prayers at the city’s historic Grand Mosque.
Salehi said the upcoming cultural week would form part of the Comprehensive Strategic Treaty signed by the two nations, which lays out a roadmap for cooperation in cinema, literature, book fairs and other cultural fields.
Both ministers tied the initiative to broader political ties, referring to the recent meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Salehi linked the manuscripts project to the same strategic agreement signed between Iran and Russia in January 2025, noting that cooperation on preserving cultural heritage was a natural extension of that pact. “We estimate that Iran holds at least one million manuscripts, of which 400,000 have so far been identified,” he said.
Tsypkin voiced readiness to step up collaboration, including exchanges of senior scholars and young researchers. He emphasized the Russian library’s interest in opening its Persian collection to greater international study.
Salehi presented Tsypkin with a copy of ‘The Persian Gulf,’ a research volume compiled by Iranian scholar Javad Norouzi.