Behind the facade of ceremonial diplomacy: the results of Khosrow Mirza’s “Redemption” mission of 1829

This study examines a pivotal moment in the history of Russian-Iranian relations in the early nineteenth century, when the experience of Russian state-building was adopted by the high-ranking Iranian bureaucracy. The initial phase of this turn was marked by the arrival in Russia in 1829 of the Iranian “Redemption” mission following the Tehran massacre of the Russian embassy, which included its leader, the Minister Plenipotentiary Alexander Griboyedov. The ceremonial aspects of this visit are fully reflected in the travel accounts of Mustafa Afshar, secretary of the Iranian mission, and the Russian escort reports related to the event. These have informed Iranian studies since 1970 and 2003, respectively. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of the original Persian text from Mustafa Afshar’s travelogue has yet to be examined by scholars, and is introduced here for the first time as a source for this study. This part of the diary comprises a collection of discrete narratives, collectively assembled by Iranian and Russian officials with the objective of fostering a positive image of Russia. The analysis of this text enables a reassessment of the historical significance, tangible outcomes, and political implications of the visit in the context of interstate relations between Russia and Iran.