Respect for Russians

On March 22, 2010, one day after Navroz, about 20 Russian Zoroastrians visited the Tehran Fire Temple accompanied by Rostam Khosraviani, president of the Tehran Zoroastrian Anjuman, according to an item posted on AmordadNews. In contrast to the rude reception accorded to Herbad Mikhail Chistyakov in Sanjan on February 19, 2010, the Russians in Iran received "a warm welcome,” as commented Ali Jafarey, founder of the California based Zarathushtrian Assembly. The Russian coreligionists later attended the memorial ceremony of a deceased Iranian Zoroastrian at the fire temple. They were even invited to partake of a tastefully laid out Navroz table.

Russian Zoroastrians at the fire temple in Tehran: (middle row, left) congregation raises index finger when mobed lifts the cypress branch; (bottom right) Konstantin Starostin (7th from right) with friends around the Navroz table

In accordance with the Sasanian custom of respect as seen on their bas reliefs and perpetuated by the Iranians, the visitors learnt the import of symbolically raising their index finger during the course of the religious ceremony to signify that the mobed reciting the Avesta has raised the green cypress branch.

There are about 500 Zoroastrians living in Moscow and St Petersburg and their numbers are increasing, conveyed Konstantin Starostin, president of the Zoroastrian Association in St Petersburg. "The group is planning to visit other cities with Zoroastrian populations,” reported AmordadNews.