Persian Motifs

On November 10, FIME students who came fr om Iran took part in the opening of an exhibition of Persian Motifs. The exhibition was held at the Estate of Rukavishnikov and was timed to coincide with the Days of Iranian Culture in Russia in 2023.

According to Yuri Filippov, Director General of the NGIAMZ, Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, the exhibition is unique in that it covers a chronological period of about 1400 years – the history of the territory that modern-day Iran occupies at present.

So what surprised our Iranian students who were newcomers to the museum?
First of all, the Iranians were struck by the architecture of the museum itself: they initially thought it was the Hermitage, but the Hermitage is in St. Petersburg!
Secondly, they were pleased to see the objects brought to the museum from Persia and collected by Russian travelers and collectors, and learn that Persian merchants had visited the Nizhny Novgorod land, that a branch of a Persian bank was functioning, and that there was even Persian Street in the city.
And thirdly, the students were greatly impressed with the ballroom wh ere the Iranian girls had an urge to sing a folk song! It was a love song.

Together we remembered the quote of the famous Persian poet Saadi: "A student who learns without desire is a bird without wings."