In this first biography of Griboyedov in English, Laurence Kelly paints a vivid picture of his remarkable literary and diplomatic gifts which were nevertheless overshadowed by ill-fortune and tragedy.

When the Tehran mob broke into the Russian embassy and murdered all the diplomats there, the death toll included one of the most brilliant and promising stars in the early 19th century Russian literary firmament.

Alexander Griboyedov's masterpiece Woe from Wit had been praised by Pushkin as making 'an indelible impression'. It also had the distinction of being immediately banned by the Russian censors. The play's alternative title was The Misfortune of Being Clever and perhaps Griboyedov's tragedy was that he was not clever enough to withstand the malign forces which shadowed and dogged his career.

As a writer he narrowly escaped the ferocity of the Tsar's government on suspicion of complicity in the 1825 Decembrist plot by liberal aristocrats to overthrow the Tsarist state. After his brush with the wrath of the Tsar, Griboyedov was dispatched to Georgia and Iran, charged with furthering Russia's expansionist agenda in the Caucasus and beyond. As one of the earliest Russian players in the Great Game, he was a leading actor in defining the Tsar's relations with the Persians and the British in the region.

But Griboyedov viewed his mission to Tehran as Russian Minister Plenipotentiary with the greatest foreboding. In the end his diplomatic skills were no match for the zealous mobs unleashed by the mullahs incensed by trivial incidents which they portrayed as a slur on Iran's self-esteem and the honour of Islam.

This book makes an invaluable contribution to the diplomatic history of Russia, the Caucasus and Iran, while at the same time shedding much new light on the life and works of a writer who was among 19th century Russia's most respected and prominent literary figures.

Autorentext

Laurence Kelly was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1933, and attended Harvard University in 1958. He is the author of a distinguished biography on Lermontov as well as travel companions for Moscow, St Petersburg and Istanbul. He has studied and lived in Russia.

Inhalt

Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations

Introduction
I A Moscow Education
II The War of 1812
III Literary Beginnings: St Petersburg
IV The Duel
V Into Exile
VI Arrival in Tiflis
VII Yermolov and Russian Imperialism
VIII Journey to Tehran
IX Tabriz and the Deserters
X Diplomatic Diversions
XI Return to Tiflis
XII Theatrical Campaigns, Moscow
XIII Woe from Wit
XIV Love and Politics, St Petersburg
XV Crimea and the Northern Caucasus
XVI The Decembrist Debacle
XVII The Persian Campaign
XVIII Armistice Negotiations
XIX The Treaty of Turkmanchai
XX A Hero's Return
XXI Courtship and Marriage
XXII Tabriz to Tehran
XXIII Countdown to the Massacre
XXIV Diplomatic Repercussions
XXV The Aftermath

Appendix I: Griboyedov's death and the 'British Conspiracy' Theory
Appendix II: Table of Russian Ranks
Appendix III: Anglo-Russian Rivalry in Persia
Notes on the Text
Bibliography
Index