This article examines the spread of Russian cultural influence in Persia in the early 20th century through the work of Russian educational and medical institutions in such major economic centers as Tabriz and Tehran. The work of schools and hospitals in the capital is compared with the corresponding institutions of competing European powers and the United States. The article determines the level of funding for these institutions, the size of the student body and patient base, and the educational and medical services provided. Despite the much more modest funding of Russian hospitals, the flow of local patients steadily increased. A distinctive feature of their work was that, unlike European and American institutions, they were primarily oriented toward serving the broad population of Persia and, year by year, gained increasing trust from it. The article concludes that the Russian institutions operating in Persia enjoyed a high level of popularity among Iranians.
