Ricerc@Sapienza

The presented research project aims to fill in the gap of in-depth studies on the cultural and academic aspects of the relations between India and the Soviet Union. The historical period examined has as its protagonist Indira Gandhi during her first (1966-1977) and second term (1980-1984) as prime minister. In this historical moment in which India seeks redemption after the defeat suffered against China in 1962 there was a qualitative and quantitative leap in relations between India and the Soviet Union on a political, economic, military and cultural level determined by convergence of interests of the two countries. Even though India was untouched by the proxy wars of Cold War era, it became an active ground for ideological and political battles between two superpowers. At the same time, Indira Gandhi proved her ability to use the weapons at her disposal to curb and channel the support of the USSR for the achievement of her political goals. The cultural interaction between the two countries, which started in the years of Jawaharlal Nehru, expanded considerably during the premiership of Indira Gandhi as the collaboration in all fields grew constantly. The cultural relations between Indian and the Soviet Union constituted an important and crucial part of Indo-Soviet relations as they reflected power struggles among Indira Gandhi, her staunchest ally the Communist Party of India and the Soviet leadership. This research framed in the historical context of Cold War aims to analyse how bilateral cultural exchange influenced the political and economic relations of India and the Soviet Union. Even though, Indo-Soviet relations offers myriad angles for research, the topic is quite neglected in the field of contemporary history. This research would require an extensive work with various primary sources. As the topic of research arouse interest abroad, the possibility to participate in conferences and receive feedback from other academics would be highly appreciated.