The ‘Land of SRK’, Tolstoy, and soft power: Cultural diplomacy powers Indo-Russian relations

Fairy tales and short stories as first ambassadors of cultural exchanges

On many occasions, through my interactions with students from Russia, I have fondly reminisced over Russian folktales – especially Vasilisa the Beautiful, written by Alexander Afanasyev. Roopvati Vasilisa, as it was translated into Hindi, and its characters, particularly Baba Yaga, printed on glossy pages with wondrous illustrations, have stayed dear to me and anyone having access to these stories and growing up in the 1980s and 90s. These folktales from the days of the yore often became part of my conversational vocabulary with people I would meet from the country.

Publishing houses such as Raduga Publishers, in collaboration with the People’s Publishing House, and other publications such as Progress, brought these Russian folktales and storybooks to India and other parts of the world at heavily subsidised prices with an objective of accessible education, making them available in India in Bengali, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, and Urdu.

Preserving the living traditions of these folktales in the form of literature, Artist Afrah Shafiq has been building an archive of these books and stories in Indian languages, creating a repository that documents these literary marvels with beautiful illustrations.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, these stories travelled in the form of books, novels, and later television. In 1986, Doordarshan screened Katha Sagar – a collection of short stories directed by cinematic doyens – Shyam Benegal, Kundan Shah, and Krishen Sethi, among many others – adapting works by Leo Tolstoy and other renowned authors such as Guy de Maupassant (French) and O. Henry (American).

However, it was Tolstoy’s stories that formed a major part of the series, with six empathetic and optimistic narratives such as Zameen, based on How Much Land Does a Man Need?, Parivartan based on God Son, Prateeksha, based on Where Love Is, God Is (enacted by the talented Sayeed Zafri) – directed by Krishen Sethi; and Teen Sadhu, based on The Three Hermits by Satyen Bose . Katha Sagar also featured Anjaam (The Inn) by Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, among many others.

Khokhloma folk art (Photo: GW2RU)

In fact, Tolstoy and Gandhi’s intellectual exchanges in the form of letters in 1909-1910 are widely cited in historical writings. Historians note that Gandhi’s approach to non-violence was inspired by Tolstoy and his writings. Taking cue from this, perhaps, The film Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi: A Double Portrait in the Interior of the Age, directed by Anna Evtushenko and Galina Evtushenko was screened at the BRICS Film Festival in 2016.

Similarly, Chekhov Ki Duniya (1993), the well-known adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s short stories directed by Ranjit Kapoor, was also broadcast on Doordarshan. In the 1970s and 1980s, the works of literary legends like Maxim Gorky, who wrote extensively on the struggles of the working class, inspired Indian theatre and cinema.

Two of his plays, The Lower Depths (1902) and Enemies (1906), have been staged by the National School of Drama, Delhi, during this period. The Russia House in Kerala was, in fact, popularly known as Gorky Bhawan for many years.

It must be noted that these literary works were deeply rooted in tenets of empathy and humanism. Bollywood and Indian cinema offered colour, music, entertainment, and emotional solace through their inspired adaptations. It is this shared fondness of solace and humanism – often emerging from stories of the working classes, peasants – that resonated strongly through the performances of actors such as Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty, who became icons of Hindi cinema in Russia.

The iconic song Awara Hoon, along with other Hindi classics remains popular to date. Moreover, movies like Mera Naam Joker (1970), Pathaan (2022), and more recently, Tiger 3 (2023) have been famously shot in parts of Russia. More recently, Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf (2010) featured the popular song “Darling”, sung by the inimitable Usha Uthup and Rekha Bhardwaj, drawing heavily on Russian music, dance, and visual aesthetics. It is reported that the song was inspired from the folk song “Kalinka” by the Russian Red Army Choir and Russian singers were called in to record the audio.

Paintings and exhibitions as sites of cultural diplomacy

To honour President Putin’s visit to Delhi, artist Jagjot Singh created an acrylic painting of the Russian President. Paintings and art have long been quintessential tools of diplomatic exchange.

Marking the rich cultural exchanges and soft diplomacy between the two countries, Russian People’s Artist Nikas Safronov organised an exhibition titled Dream Vision at Delhi’s Lalit Kala Akademi, with the support of Rosneft, from December 7 to December 21. The exhibition features paintings depicting architectural scenes from Moscow, St Petersburg, the Taj Mahal, and other iconic sites in India.

On December 12, the Alexander Kadakin School of the Russian Embassy in India hosted a charity fair, Carousel of Kindness, with the support of the Atlas Center for the Development of Social and Cultural Relations, showcasing Russian culture, food, and crafts.

Earlier in November, the Russian Embassy in India also participated in the 35th DCWA and Diplomatic Community Bazaar in Delhi, where visitors explored a pavilion featuring Russian snacks and sweets, folk arts, and matryoshka doll crafts.

Sharing a similar spirit, Bharat Utsav – Festival of India was organised in July 2025 at Manezhnaya Square in Moscow in collaboration with the Indian Women’s Association. The festival focused on cultural performances and Bollywood exchanges, featuring artists from several Indian states alongside Russian artists and students.

Handicraft, folk art, and shared aesthetics

To honour President Putin’s visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted art souvenirs celebrating India’s artistic diversity to him, further strengthening cultural ties and long-lived traditions of cultural diplomacy by presenting Indian arts and crafts.

These included a copy of the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita translated into Russian, GI-tagged Assam black tea, a silver horse handicraft from Maharashtra, GI-tagged Kashmiri saffron, a beautifully carved silver tea set from Bengal, and a marble chess set with inlay work from Uttar Pradesh. Many artisans have since reported that such global recognition could help attract wider markets and improve livelihoods.

Matryoshka nesting dolls, erstwhile known as Babushka dolls, are among Russia’s most recognisable handicrafts with a global value. Come Christmas, these striking red doll crafts appear at fairs across the world. In India, Madhubani artists have created their own versions of Madhubani nesting dolls, adapting local metaphors from Bihar. Variations depicting cats, peasant life, and folklore are also popular and can be found at many craft fairs organised in India.

Meanwhile, Russian art and craft finds striking interpretive similarities with several Indian craft traditions. Khokhloma folk art from Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, with its floral motifs in red, black, green, and gold on wood, shares visual resonance with Kashmiri papier-mâché crafts, even though the latter arrived in the region via Persia.

Diplomatic Community Bazaar in New Delhi (Photo: India.mid.ru)

Similarly, India’s blue pottery bears resemblance to Russia’s Gzhel folk art, with both traditions using cobalt blues on white ceramics. The world-famous filigree work of Cuttack in Odisha also echoes Kazakovo filigree – distinct in style but similar in artistry.

It is said that Yoga is one of the most successful cultural exports to Russia -with over one million Russians now practising it. In fact, brand Patanjali recently signed an MoU during President Putin’s visit to advocate for health, health tourism, wellness, and Ayurveda.

The latest issue of Russia Digest, titled ‘Druzhba–Dosti’ or friendship celebrates this bilateral relationship, indicating how these ties continue to strengthen over time through cultural engagement and enduring people-to-people connections.