The image of Iran in the play “Beyond Kopet-Dag” by the Udmurt writer G. Simakov
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
Philology
About author:
A. I. Lavrentyev Udmurt State University, Izhevsk, Russian Federation, lavrentyev@bk.ru
V. L. Shibanov Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Izhevsk, Russian Federation, shibvik@rambler.ru
V. L. Shibanov Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Izhevsk, Russian Federation, shibvik@rambler.ru
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The article analyzes the image of Iran as depicted by the Udmurt author Grigoriy Simakov (1919–1996) in the drama “Kopet-Dag Sjӧryn” (“Beyond Kopet-Dag”, 1951, 1960). The play was based on his personal experiences during military service in the
Persian Corridor. This work, which has not yet been recognized as a significant contribution to the history of Udmurt Soviet literature and theater art, is gaining relevance in the context of the ongoing confrontation between the West and the East. The setting of the drama is the period of the Great Patriotic War. The idea propagated by Simakov, that Iran’s future lies in unity with the Russian people, in many respects becomes topical in the current political situation.
Objective: to identify playwright G. Simakov’s approaches to the depiction of Iran as an eastern country in the 1940s and to reveal the features of its representation.
Research materials: the drama by G. Simakov “Beyond Kopet-Dag” consisting of three acts and nine scenes.
Results and novelty of the research: the image of Iran (before 1935 – Persia) became a subject of interest for Udmurt men of letters in the mid-twentieth century. This interest can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, it was influenced by the authors’ biographies, especially
those of G. Simakov and M. Pokchi-Petrov. Secondly, it was fueled by the increase in public interest in Iran due to the collapse of global colonialism and the escalation of the Cold War between the West and the USSR. The most representative work in conceptualizing Iran
is the drama by G. Simakov, “Beyond Kopet-Dag”, which depicts the confrontation between Iranians and Americans in 1944–1945. The scientific novelty of the study is due to the fact that it represents the first experience of understanding the image of the eastern country in
Udmurt dramaturgy. The image of Iran is examined in two aspects: through the dialogue and reasoning of the characters (speech level), the spatial organization of the text (as indicated by stage design of scenes proposed by the playwright). This sequential expansion of space
reveals new facets of the eastern country, transitioning from the private to the public, from the domestic to the social. In the final scene, a road appears, connecting Tehran with Tabriz, it symbolizes the future path of the country, oriented towards Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Thus, Simakov succeeded in the middle of the twentieth century, within the framework of socialist realism, in outlining global problems associated with the mechanisms of neocolonialism, which once again became relevant in the first quarter of the twenty-first century.
Key words: Udmurt literature, Grigory Simakov, the play “Beyond Kopet-Dag”, image of Iran, spatial organization of the text, Iranian-American confrontation
For citation: Lavrentyev A. I., Shibanov V. L. The image of Iran in the play “Beyond Kopet-Dag” by the Udmurt writer G. Simakov // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2026; 16 (1/64): 52–58.
Introduction: The article analyzes the image of Iran as depicted by the Udmurt author Grigoriy Simakov (1919–1996) in the drama “Kopet-Dag Sjӧryn” (“Beyond Kopet-Dag”, 1951, 1960). The play was based on his personal experiences during military service in the
Persian Corridor. This work, which has not yet been recognized as a significant contribution to the history of Udmurt Soviet literature and theater art, is gaining relevance in the context of the ongoing confrontation between the West and the East. The setting of the drama is the period of the Great Patriotic War. The idea propagated by Simakov, that Iran’s future lies in unity with the Russian people, in many respects becomes topical in the current political situation.
Objective: to identify playwright G. Simakov’s approaches to the depiction of Iran as an eastern country in the 1940s and to reveal the features of its representation.
Research materials: the drama by G. Simakov “Beyond Kopet-Dag” consisting of three acts and nine scenes.
Results and novelty of the research: the image of Iran (before 1935 – Persia) became a subject of interest for Udmurt men of letters in the mid-twentieth century. This interest can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, it was influenced by the authors’ biographies, especially
those of G. Simakov and M. Pokchi-Petrov. Secondly, it was fueled by the increase in public interest in Iran due to the collapse of global colonialism and the escalation of the Cold War between the West and the USSR. The most representative work in conceptualizing Iran
is the drama by G. Simakov, “Beyond Kopet-Dag”, which depicts the confrontation between Iranians and Americans in 1944–1945. The scientific novelty of the study is due to the fact that it represents the first experience of understanding the image of the eastern country in
Udmurt dramaturgy. The image of Iran is examined in two aspects: through the dialogue and reasoning of the characters (speech level), the spatial organization of the text (as indicated by stage design of scenes proposed by the playwright). This sequential expansion of space
reveals new facets of the eastern country, transitioning from the private to the public, from the domestic to the social. In the final scene, a road appears, connecting Tehran with Tabriz, it symbolizes the future path of the country, oriented towards Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Thus, Simakov succeeded in the middle of the twentieth century, within the framework of socialist realism, in outlining global problems associated with the mechanisms of neocolonialism, which once again became relevant in the first quarter of the twenty-first century.
Key words: Udmurt literature, Grigory Simakov, the play “Beyond Kopet-Dag”, image of Iran, spatial organization of the text, Iranian-American confrontation
For citation: Lavrentyev A. I., Shibanov V. L. The image of Iran in the play “Beyond Kopet-Dag” by the Udmurt writer G. Simakov // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2026; 16 (1/64): 52–58.
