Доклады Международного конгресса ИИСАА. Т. 1

II. Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia / Ближний Восток, Кавказ и Центральная Азия 286 Proceedings of the International Congress on Historiography and Source Studies of Asia and Africa.Vol. I. 2020 Sending elephants to the Imperial Russian court continued the practice of exchanging rare species of wild, tamed and domesticated animals and birds as official diplomatic presents between Russian and foreign monarchs, including those of Iran, already common by that time. One of the most high-demanded presents, often sent to Iran from Russia, were hunting birds used in falconry. Among gifts, delivered to the Safavid court by the embassy of Grigoriy Vasilchikov (1588–1589), Shāh ‘Abbās I (1587–1629) gave special attention to gyrfalcons. 1 In 1590 a gyrfalcon and a hobby were dispatched to Iran with Butak Bek andAndi Bek (Hādī Bīk), and these gifts were much appreciated by the shah. 2 Gyrfalcons were sent to the shah once again with Azi Khosrov andAndrei Zvenigorodskiy, but the hunting birds didn’t survive the trip, much to the shah’s disappointment. 3 In autumn 1595 Andi Bek requested a number of wild animals, among them a black bear and a polar bear, and dogs of the Medelyan breed to be gifted to the shah. His request was partially granted, and animals were soon sent to Iran with both Andi Bek himself and several other Russian and Iranian diplomats and officials. 4 In 1597 gyrfalcons and a white hawk, accompanied by gyrfalconers (‘krechetniki’), were brought to the shah by the ill-fated embassy of VasiliyTyufyakin. 5 This practice of gifting animals and birds as a diplomatic gesture continued well into the next century and beyond. Until 1740s hunting birds were still being brought to Iran and remained one of the most wanted diplomatic gifts for shahs and their offspring. In 1740 gyrfalcons were sent from Russia to Iran, and in the same year Russian officials considered dispatching ‘German well-grown riding horses’ that ‘would be regarded as curiosity’ as gifts to Nādir and his three sons. 6 In the same 1 See Бушев П. П. История посольств и дипломатических отношений русского и иранского государств в 1586–1612 гг. (по русским архивам) / АН ССР, Институт восто- коведения. М.: Наука, 1976 / Bushev P. P. Istoriya posol’stv i diplomaticheskikh otnosheniy russkogo i iranskogo gosudarstv v 1586–1612 gg. (po russkim arkhivam) [History of embassies and diplomatic relations of the Russian and Iranian states in 1586–1612 (based on Russian archives)] / AN SSR, Institut vostokovedeniya. Moscow: Nauka, 1976. (In Russian). P. 107; Памятники дипломатических и торговых сношений Московской Руси с Персией / изд. под ред. Н. И. Веселовского. СПб.: Товарищество паровой скоропечатни Яблонский и Перотт, 1890. Т. I: Царствование Федора Иоанновича / Pamyatniki diplomaticheskikh i torgovykh snosheniy Moskovskoi Rusi s Persiei [Records of diplomatic and trade relations between Muscovite Russia and Persia] / izd. pod red. N. I. Veselovskogo. St Petersburg, 1890. Vol. I: Tsarstvovanie Fedora Ioannovicha. [Reign of Fedor Ioannovich] (In Russian). P. 88. 2 Bushev. Istoriya posol’stv. Р. 142, 143; Pamyatniki diplomaticheskikh i torgovykh snosheniy Moskovskoi Rusi s Persiei. Vol. I. P. 148. 3 Pamyatniki diplomaticheskikh i torgovykh snosheniy Moskovskoi Rusi s Persiei. Vol. I. P. 203, 217, 246, 262. 4 Ibid. P. 305, 394–395, 402. 5 Ibid. P. 394, 440, 447. 6 AVPRI. Fond 77. Snosheniya Rossii s Persiei. Opis’ 77/1. 1740 g. Delo 6. Fol. 13v; Delo 15. Fol. 431; Delo 18. Fol. 1.