TEHRAN – The relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation, and other nations with a shared approach can lay the foundation for a truly multipolar world and society, the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi said during a visit to St. Petersburg State University on Friday.

Salehi traveled to St. Petersburg at the invitation of his Russian counterpart to attend the 11th International Forum of United Cultures, meet with Russian cultural figures, and visit leading artistic and academic institutions, ILNA reported.

On September 12, he toured the historic St. Petersburg State University, founded 301 years ago, and held talks with the university’s executive board on ways to strengthen bilateral academic and cultural cooperation. The minister also delivered a lecture to professors and students entitled “Culture and Human Interaction in a Multipolar Society.”

Salehi praised St. Petersburg as a global city of knowledge and culture and stressed the pivotal role of culture in human development. “Today, development is not just about economics and politics,” he said, “but about meaning—about the kind of valuable life and stable society humanity seeks to build.”

The minister argued that genuine and lasting progress must be measured not only in economic terms but also in freedom, dignity, and human flourishing. He warned that development without justice leads to oppression, citing Gaza and Palestine as examples, and emphasized that no individual or nation should be sacrificed for the interests of another.

On bilateral ties, Salehi highlighted efforts to familiarize younger generations in both Iran and Russia with each other’s literary and artistic heritage. He stressed that a multipolar world must also be cultural, not just political and military: “The foundation of a multipolar world is cultural plurality. Iran and Russia, with their millennia of civilization, must understand each other’s values and achievements.”

Salehi also reflected on the deep-rooted historical connections between the two nations, from manuscript exchanges and early printing to shared inspirations in literature and art. He noted that Iranian audiences remain deeply engaged with Russian classics—from Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to Tchaikovsky—and recalled how Persian poetry inspired figures such as Pushkin. “This exchange has always been two-way,” he said, “shaping not only literature but also theater, cinema, music, and the visual arts in both countries.”

Calling for expanded university exchanges, Salehi proposed establishing new chairs in Persian literature in Russia and Russian language in Iran, as well as joint programs in anthropology and the arts. He underscored the importance of direct literary translation between Persian and Russian, alongside greater efforts to translate contemporary works, not just classics.

The minister also advocated cultural festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, and music performances as platforms for closer people-to-people contact, along with cultural tourism and digital cooperation to preserve and share heritage. “Today, Iranian and Russian bloggers and online creators can present more authentic images of our countries than international media outlets,” he remarked.

During his visit, Salehi received from the university a catalog of its Persian manuscripts, underscoring Russia’s long tradition of Iranology. He noted that while some schools of Orientalism were linked to colonial agendas, Iranology in Russia has often pursued genuine understanding and dialogue. Over the past three centuries, Russian scholars have produced more than 10,000 works on Iran, providing what Salehi described as “a lasting foundation for long-term academic cooperation.”

Concluding his address, Salehi emphasized that cultural ties are deeper and more resilient than purely political or economic relations: “When relations are rooted in culture and in the hearts of people, economic and political ties become stronger and more sustainable. Iran and Russia share such a bond—one that must be nurtured so that future generations can enjoy the shade of a strong tree of friendship and solidarity.”

 Photo: The Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi (L) speaks at the St. Petersburg State University on September 12, 2025.

SS/SAB