News and Events / LEGENDARY RUSSIAN TRAVELLER AFANASIY NIKITIN REMEMBERED

New Delhi, July 31, 2007: Glowing tributes were paid to Afanasiy Nikitin, a fifteenth-century Russian trader, who undertook a historic and fascinating journey from Tver (near Moscow) to India during 1469-70 by way of Caspian region and Iran and returning to Russia by way of Gulf and Turkey, by speakers at a function held at the Russian Centre of Science & Culture, 24, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi, on July 30, 2007.

In momentous harmony with the occasion, Mr. Valentin Efremov, the famous Russian traveller, who made an unprecedented travel to the North Pole by heat balloon winning a place in the Genius Book of World Records, was introduced to the gathering. Sharing his experience, he described it to be adventurous and exciting and worth informative for the future generation. A short film on his expedition “Travelling into the country of Stone Giants” was screened.

Hailing the unique feat accomplished by Mr. Valentin Efremov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, H.E. Mr. Vyacheslav I. Trubnikov, said that such explorations opened new vistas in human endeavours. He complemented the Indian team which repeated the journey on the same route once took by Afanasiy Nikitin.

Addressing the function, Chief Guest Brig. K. P. Singh Deo, AVSM (Retd.), Former Cabinet Minister, Government of India, President, Adventurers & Explorers Society, noted that India and Russia share common heritage. Afanasiy Nikitin became a symbol of Russian adventurous spirit and sowed the seeds of Indo-Russian friendship, which grew through the ages, he pointed out. In this connection, he referred to the film “Pardeshi” made by K.A. Abbas, the first Indo-Soviet joint production with a Russian actor and Nargis in the lead roles. He felicitated the 14-member Indian team with an eclectic mix of historians, economists, trade analysts, explorers, journalists, photographers and film crew, led by Mr. Phalguni Matilal, which traveled in 3 SUV-s in 45 days (from November 8, 2006 to January 23, 2007) through the routes Nikitin followed in the 15th century. Mr. Singh Deo congratulated Mr. Valentin Efremov for fulfilling an excellent job.

As an important highlight of the function, Prof. Hari Vasudevan, Department of History, University of Kolkata, one among the 14-member team that followed Afanasy Nikitin’s route, in a lecture-- “Travelling Beyond Three Seas”--delivered on the occasion provided an illuminating account of the journey. Traversing Nikitin’s route, the expedition sought the answer to what attracted him to India and how his journey influenced others in the regions of Russia, Turkey, Caspian and Iran to travel to India sometime later. The expedition also looked at the presence of India in these areas today and the opportunities to develop the relations even further. In the process, the team visited great trading centres like Nizhnii, Astrakhan and Kazan, the museums and met the businessman and political leaders, analyzed the situation in turbulent Caucasus region and the efforts of Indian initiative in Baku, a great centre of oil enterprise. The team also tried to forge closer relationship between these countries and India through a series of meetings at most places. In an aid to comprehend the intricacies of the above exploration and to supplement the information disseminated by Prof. Hari Vasudevan, a film “Footsteps of Nikitin” was also screened.