Investigating Russian perception of the Iranians based on Russian travelogues

Western and European visitor and travelers have traditionally played an important function in the development of Orientalism, and travelogues are one of the valuable sources in Orientalism. Russian travelogues about Iran in the 19th century contain many points about the Russians' perception, understanding and orientalism views of Iran as a nation and as peoples.Indeed mutual relations between 19th century Iran, as an independent Asian country, and Russia, as a European colonial power, underwent and experienced much turmoil and trial. In this study, relying on the views of the contemporary sociologist Professor Seyed Hussein Al-Atas the 19th century Russian travelogues view of Iranian people’s cultural and social life are examined. The article will answer the question of how the Russians, as a European colonizer, looked at the lives of the Iranian people, and what image of Iran as an independent Asian country is drawn in Russian travel books? As a case example we will also try to divulge and analyze the components and parameters that Professor Al-Atas believes exist and constitute in European and Western Orientalism within that of the Russian travelogues.This research analyzes the role of travelogues in the formation of mental images about Iran using the qualitative content analysis method.