Footstep Of Nikitin
Afanasy Nikitin, a trader of the growing Russian state during the reign of Ivan the Great, made a historic and fascinating journey from Tver (near Moscow) to India
during 1469-70. He traveled by way of Caspian region and
Iran, stayed in India from 1471-74, returning to Russia by
way Gulf and Turkey. He could not make it to his hometown
and died in Smolensk in 1475. Among the first Europeans
to have come to India and arriving 25 years before Vasco-
Da-Game, he stayed long enough in Western India, in a
region then known as Bahmani Kingdom. He was a symbol of Russian adventurous
spirit, and sowed the seeds of Indo-Russian friendship,
which grew through the ages. As a tribute to Nikitin, K.A.
Abbas made a celebrated film "Pardesi", the first Indo-
Russian joint production, with a Russian actor and Nargis
in the main roles. Also, the Indian Ambassador in Russia
unveiled his statue in his hometown Tver in 1956.
Why Nikitin
Nikitin was the earliest
symbol of Indo Russian
friendship and a revered
figure of Russia's medieval
history.
These six countries, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey,
Iran, and U.A.E. are exotic tourist destinations and boast
of rich heritage and scenic beauty.
Nikitin also explored the Deccan region of India, visiting
towns such as Bidar, Golconda, Bljapur, Gulbarga and
making major observations on Vijayanager (Hampi) all of
which had great importance in those days.
Car Expedition
A 14 member team with an eclectic mix of historians economists and trade analysts, explorers, journalists
photographers and film crew travelled in 4 Mahindra & Mahindra Scorpios (SUV) through the routes Nikitin followed In the 15th century. To get a
complete picture, the expedition route was a mix of his
onward and return journeys including the important places
he visited in India. The journey commenced at Tver, 150
kms north of Moscow, proceeded through Russia, and
travelled down the Volga River to Astrakhan, It continued
along the coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, through
Georgia and Caucasus mountains to Turkey and Black Sea,
then through Iran to India. The expedition travelled for 45
days to reach India.
Objective of The Expedition
The expedition
also looked at the
presence of India in
these areas today
and the opportunities to develop relations further.
Relevance Of The Expedition -
Foreign Relations
People to people contact, particularly in obscure regions, has its own advantages, and the expedition team, through a series of meetings at most places, tried to forge closer relationships between these countries and India.
Indo Russian relationship is time-tested and strategic
alliances have endured over 50 years. The expedition's
highlight the friendship and study its evolution from the
time of Nikitin and how it survived not only in respect of
Russia, but also with the independent countries that have
emerged following the dissolution of the former USSR.
The foreign policy concept released by the Russian
federations in 2000 emphasises the maintenance of friendly
relations with India, and both India and Russia make
conscious efforts to sustain and enhance this partnership
through cooperation in defence, science and technology,
health and medical science, trade and economic and
cultural relations, The expedition group made efforts to
look at the ground realities of this partnership and evaluate
the Indian presence in Russia.
Economic Relations
Nlkitin's route roughly corresponds with the North-South corridor that the Indian government had opened open up to facilitate trade with the countries in the region.
The Inter-Governmental Agreement on international North-
South corridor was signed between India, Iran and Russia
In 2000 and the corridor was expected to reduce the transit
time and cost of trade with Russia and the countries located on route. The expedition got a first hand experience of the route and analyzed Its significance not only for trade but also as a central axis for Eurasia. The expedition
team tried to evaluate the prospects under the changing geopolitical scenario.
India and Azerbaijan have tremendous potential for
bilateral ventures particularly concerning oil and gold.
India and Georgia are already bound by a bilateral
Agreement for Trade and Economic cooperation.
India and Turkey have taken initiatives in commercial,
economic and cultural fields. The expedition team,
while traversing the region, tried to interact with the
concerned authorities to gauge the impact of such
actions and Initiatives.
Footsteps Of Nikitin - The Film
Miditech, an internationally known TV production house, shot a film on the expedition for distribution among various national and international channels.
Click on
Footstep Of Nikitin
