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Iran's Cultural Heritage in the “Soft Power” Arsenal of the Islamic Republic of Iran
 
PIIS086919080013586-1-1
DOI10.31857/S086919080013586-1
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Aida Soboleva 
Occupation: freelance correspondent of the Pars Today Russian
Affiliation: International Federation of Journalists
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Elahe Karimi Riabi
Occupation: Senior Lecturer
Affiliation: Tehran University
Address: Tehran, Iran
Journal nameVostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost
EditionIssue 1
Pages130-143
Abstract

Iran’s cultural heritage is seen as a powerful “soft power” by various decision-making centers in Iran – and both by the current President Hassan Rouhani, continuing the pragmatic line on “constructive engagement with the world”, and Supreme Leader (rahbar) Seyed Ali Khamenei, striving to “ensure the intellectual and moral security of society” and counter hostile propaganda.

The article considers the role of “cultural heritage” in the cultural and foreign policy of Iran, which are closely interrelated with each other due to the specifics of the state system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The article traces changes in the approach to the concepts of “cultural heritage” after the Islamic Revolution and in the search for a new paradigm of international relations of Islamic Republic of Iran on the way to regional leadership. It analyzes the use of the term “soft power” by Iranian political scientists and government officials, including in such documents as “The Cultural Engineering Map” and “General Principles of President Hassan Rouhani’s Program”.

The rich cultural heritage of Iran is the subject of activity of a number of scientific and ideological structures of Iran and a substantive basis for their interaction with scientific and political institutions around the world. The multi-vector cultural diplomacy of the Rouhani administration, in line with the rahbar's strategy to promote Iranian-Islamic culture, actively involves the world scientific community into studying and developing of the cultural heritage of Iran on the terms of mutually beneficial cooperation proposed by it. It is bearing fruit in other areas.

KeywordsIran’s cultural heritage, “soft power”, “Greater Iran”, “cultural engineering”, Iranian studies
Received30.01.2021
Publication date25.02.2021
Number of characters37738
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1

Культурное наследие любой страны является ее важным имиджевым ресурсом и инструментом ее культурной дипломатии. Чем богаче наследие, тем шире поле для международного сотрудничества и утверждения своих позиций в мире через культурное влияние. Однако в отношении Исламской Республики Иран, уже больше сорока лет ведущей свою независимую политику, все не так однозначно. Призыв рассматривать Иран как культурное достояние всего мира, а не только как страну победившего ислама берет истоки в начале 1990х гг., когда, оправившись от революционных потрясений и ужасов «навязанной войны» с Ираком, ИРИ начала искать выход из международной изоляции и выстраивать новую парадигму отношений с внешним миром. Именно тогда, строго придерживаясь основных культурно-политических постулатов ислама, введенных после революции 1979 г., руководство ИРИ признало необходимость скорректировать некоторые положения своей культурной политики, тесно связанной с внешнеполитической доктриной страны. Радикальный призыв к экспорту исламской революции еще самим ее вождем Р.М.Хомейнив конце 1980-х гг. был заменен на «экспорт исламской культурной революции». В период прагматичной дипломатии президента А.А. Хашеми-Рафсанджани (1989–1996) внешнеполитический лозунг был скорректирован на «экспорт культуры исламской революции». С приходом к власти президента С.М. Хатами (1997–2005) дипломатами стал использоваться лозунг «экспорт ирано-исламской культуры». «Фактически в конце 1990-х гг. в Иране произошла смена внешнеполитической парадигмы, культурная составляющая временно стала доминантой нового государственного курса»[Юртаев, 2012, с. 187].«Сегодня правящая элита ИРИ отчетливо осознает значимость “культурного наследия” в жизни общества и активно использует его во внутренней и внешней политике, в частности, в регионе стран Западной и Центральной Азии» [Кляшторина, 1998, с. 122]. Амбиции Ирана основываются не только на его исключительном географическом положении, 85-миллионном населении, растущей, несмотря на санкции, экономической и военной мощи, позволяющей участвовать в геополитических конфликтах (в Ливане, Сирии, Ираке, Йемене). Все более важное место во внешней политике ИРИ занимает концепция «Большого Ирана», выходящего далеко за географические и временные рамки современной ИРИ. И в этой концепции ведущая роль принадлежит богатейшему культурному наследию страны, которое рассматривается как важный фактор «мягкой силы» Ирана. «Учитывая историческую роль Ирана в регионе “Большого Ирана” (охватывающего Кавказ, Западную Азию, Центральную Азию и части Южной Азии), страна имеет потенциал проявлять мягкую силу к “естественному рынку” (как это было в прошлом) и продвигать свои национальные интересы» [Sadeghi, Hajimineh, 2019, p. 221].

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