Bridging Centuries: PM Modi’s Gita Gift To President Putin Underscores Russia’s Deep Sanskrit Connection

Last Updated:December 05, 2025, 16:15 IST

The city of St Petersburg once stood as Europe's undisputed hottest centre for Sanskrit studies, a status that began remarkably early in the 18th century

PM Modi gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin a Russian edition of the Bhagavad Gita. (Image/X)

As a gesture of cultural reverence during Vladimir Putin’s visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the President with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita translated into Russian, a gift that subtly underscores the centuries-old and remarkably profound Sanskrit connection shared between Russia and India.

The city of St Petersburg once stood as Europe’s undisputed hottest centre for Sanskrit studies, a status that began remarkably early in the 18th century. Following the return of an early Russian traveller from India, the Russian Emperor himself approved plans to establish a Sanskrit printing press in the city. This early initiative paved the way for serious academic engagement with Indian languages and philosophy.

This historical connection was instrumental in shaping Europe’s understanding of Indian languages. In the 1700s, scholar Gerasim Lebedev created an early Russo-Hindustani dictionary, providing one of the first linguistic bridges between the two cultures.

The pinnacle of Russian Indology’s academic contribution is perhaps the compilation of one of the world’s most definitive Sanskrit resources. Scholar Otto von Böhtlingk worked for decades in St Petersburg to compile a monumental seven-volume Sanskrit–German lexicon. This vast dictionary remains an indispensable resource utilised by Sanskrit scholars globally even today, confirming the city’s role as a nexus for linguistic research.

Russian Indologists were not only translators but also explorers. Ivan Minayev, a renowned Russian Indologist, travelled extensively across India, visiting critical historical and religious centres like Varanasi, Kolkata, and Nepal. His efforts resulted in the priceless acquisition of rare Sanskrit and Pali manuscripts that were brought back to Russia, enriching academic collections.

Later, experts like Fyodor Stcherbatskoy solidified Russia’s influence, becoming a world authority whose work profoundly shaped global academic understanding of Buddhist and Hindu philosophical texts. By the 19th century, St Petersburg had cemented its reputation as one of the strongest Indology centres in the world. PM Modi’s gift of the translated Gita is therefore a nod to this deep, shared intellectual heritage, reinforcing a cultural bond that runs parallel to the strategic partnership.

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