The center was established in 2002 with the support of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in Ukraine.
The first director, T. Malenka, PhD in Philology, led the unit from 2002 until 2015. Since 2015, O. Mazepova, Doctor of Philology, has served as the director.
The main objective of the center’s activities is to promote the Persian language, literature, and culture of Iran in Ukraine. This includes improving the teaching of Persian language and literature, as well as other disciplines related to Iranian studies, such as history, cultural studies, art, ethnography, and folklore of Iran.
With the support of the Embassy of Iran in Ukraine, the center hosts the All-Ukrainian Olympiad in Persian Language and Literature annually. Additionally, since 2013, they have organized the All-Ukrainian Olympiad in the specialty “Translation” (Persian language) at the Institute of Philology. Students from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv have consistently achieved the best results among higher education institutions in Ukraine.
The center also holds monthly scholarly and practical seminars dedicated to the Commemoration Days of prominent Iranian figures (classical Persian literature masters such as Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Rumi, Saadi, Hafez, and others). Significant dates in the life of the Iranian people are observed (for example, Iran’s National Day), Persian Language and Culture Weeks of Iran are organized, and Iranian national holidays (“Nowruz,” “Shabe Yalda”) are celebrated. Meetings between the students and teachers of the center and the staff of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine have become a tradition.
In the autumn of 2017–2018, students of the Persian language section participated in translation work as part of the International Specialized Exhibition IRAN EXPORT, where they had an excellent opportunity to practice their translation skills and vividly demonstrate their high level of proficiency in the Persian language.
Every year, the native speaker A. Mollaahmadi organizes study tours to Iran for students.
During the pandemic, students and lecturers of the Persian language section began participating in regular international and national online seminars dedicated to issues in Iranian studies, including those organized under the initiative of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Saadi Foundation (Tehran, Iran).
