The exhibition «The Secret Symbols of Omar Khayyam Encoded in Carpets» has opened at the Zeikhgauz Museum and Exhibition Complex in the Astrakhan Kremlin. On display are carpets visualizing Omar Khayyam’s rubaiyat (quatrains) through intricate ornamentation.
The author of these works is Boris Rezvantsev (artistic pseudonym Rezvan), a member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia, the Union of Writers of Russia, and a full member of the Russian Geographical Society. The exhibition features 22 carpets, each crafted with calligrams based on Khayyam’s Persian texts. Patterns, symbols, archetypes, and signs reflect the imagery and rhymes of the quatrains, transformed into ornamental language.
The exhibition has drawn the attention of local residents and visitors. The opening ceremony featured speeches by organizers and invited guests.
Seyed Mohammad Kazem Abedi, Acting Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Astrakhan, expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Culture of the Astrakhan Region, the Directorate of the Astrakhan United Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, and personally to the artist and orientalist Boris Rezvantsev for organizing the exhibition in Astrakhan.
In his speech, Boris Rezvantsev shared that he had long dreamed of holding his exhibition in Astrakhan – a city with its own unique atmosphere.
According to the artist, creating the ornamentation for each carpet required deep immersion in Omar Khayyam’s poetry. Before visual images inspired by the verses emerged, he had to study them carefully and for extended periods. Drafting a single carpet sketch could take more than a month.
Ilya Toropitsyn, Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations of the Astrakhan Region, emphasized that this event is a testament to the close cultural ties between Russia and Iran. Astrakhan has repeatedly hosted cultural events organized by Iranian partners.
The exhibition «The Secret Symbols of Omar Khayyam Encoded in Carpets» will run through the end of August.
Photo: Astrakhan United Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve.