Muhammad Mukri — the First Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Iran to the Soviet Union

The article examines for the first time the diplomatic activity of the famous scholar—Iranian and Kurdish scholar Muhammad Mukri (1921–2007)—who not only left behind a huge number of scholarly works, but also showed his abilities as an official representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The article is based on the documents of the Archive of Oriental researches, Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (IVR AS), and of the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (AVRF). It shows the aims pursued in his activity by Mr. M. Mukri, the first Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Soviet Union (1979–1983). This period was quite difficult in relations between the USSR and Iran. The new Iranian ambassador, based on the doctrines of the Iranian revolution, sought to establish neighborly ties between the countries not only in the sphere of politics and economics, but also in science and culture. As follows from the archival materials of the AV IV RAS, Mr. M. Mukri twice came to Leningrad (February, May 1980). The main purpose of his visits was a personal acquaintance with the manuscript fund and with the leading Iranian and Kurdish researchers of the Leningrad branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academy of Sciences of the USSR (now the IOM, RAS), as well as the establishment of cultural and academic ties between Leningrad scholars studying Iran and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thanks to M. Mukri’s efforts, an Iranian consulate was opened in Leningrad, which held a number of important and socially useful events in the city in cooperation with the staff of the institute.