Meeting of Professor Alshanov Rahman Alshanovich and Professor Rak Ivan Vladimirovich

On June 11, 2024, in the city of St. Petersburg (Russian Federation), a meeting was held between Professor Alshanov Rakhman Alshanovich and Professor Rak Ivan Vladimirovich.

Ivan Vadimovich Rak is a philologist, journalist, writer, popularizer, author of 32 publications in different languages. Under the guidance of the St. Petersburg linguist A. S. Chetverukhin, he studied the ancient Egyptian language for several years and published three translations. Then he began to study the history of Ancient Iran, the “Avesta” and Zoroastrian mythology. He worked on his work “Zoroastrian mythology” for almost six years. “Zoroastrian mythology” is a systemic set of Zoroastrian myths and legends in literary and artistic retelling dedicated to the most significant mythologies of the Ancient World – Egypt, Two Rivers, Greece and Rome, China, India.

Outstanding scientists gladly shared their research in the field of Zoroastrianism, a fruitful conversation was held. Ivan Vladimirovich Rak presented his book “Zoroastrian Mythology” with wishes to the rector. In turn, Rakhman Alshanovich Alshanov also shared his work “Turan – the birthplace of Zoroastrianism.”

The book consistently sets out the myths about the creation of the world, the legendary history of Iran, the biography of the prophet Zarathushtra and the ideas of the Zoroastrians about the end of the world and the “Last Judgment”; translations of originals are organically woven into the artistic fabric of the text. Comments, which are both statements of the main scientific hypotheses and theories, as well as the author’s own conclusions, contribute to the understanding of the material. The influence of Zoroastrianism on medieval culture, in particular, on such a literary monument as Shahnameh, is considered separately. The presence of a dictionary allows the book to be used as a reference on Zoroastrian religion and mythology.