Oral history News for Mordad 1405 (July 23rd to August 22nd 2026)

Machine Translation Edited by Mandana Karimi

2026-8-26

According to the Iranian Oral History website, “News of the Month” is the title of a series of reports on this site. These reports look at news related to the site’s topic in written and virtual media. Below are some news from Mordad 1405 (July 23^rd to August 22^nd 2026).

◄ The book “A-habib (Mr. Habib)”, a narrative of the life and struggles of Habib Fallah, a jihadist of the Jihad of Construction, was unveiled in the presence of a group of commanders, fighters, cultural activists, and those interested in the field of sacrifice and resistance in Martyr Avini Hall.

◄ In a meeting with members of the Sacred Defense Narrators Association of this city, the governor of Astaneh Ashrafiyeh stated, referring to the vital importance of recording the oral memories of the warriors for the present and future generations: The memories of the martyrs are an asset that, if these narratives are not recorded quickly, the valuable history of the Sacred Defense will be lost.

◄ The Director General of the Department of Preservation and Propagation of Sacred Defense and Resistance Values ​​of Gilan Province, in an oral history workshop in Rasht, pointed out the need to pay attention to the epics of the Sacred Defense era and said, “Oral history activists should be diligent in recording the memories of the Sacred Defense.”

◄ The book "Kimiagar-e Jan (Alchemist of Life)," a narrative of the life and activities of Dr. Fereydoun Alaa, founder of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, was published by Akhtaran Publications. This book, which is the result of 13 hours of oral history interviews, examines how this organization was formed, the culture of blood donation, and memorable memories, including being at the bedside of Sohrab Sepehri.

◄ The unveiling ceremony of the book "Az Halabja ta Mersad (From Halabja to Mersad)," a narrative of the presence of the displaced people of Halabja and the Mersad operation in the village of Kermajan, written by Nadereh Kazemi-Torkaman, was held on Saturday, July 25^th, on the eve of the anniversary of the Mersad operation in Kangavar.

◄ The book "Nasl-e Baqi (The Surviving Generation)" was published by Havir Publications, with the efforts of Abdolreza Ghasemi, with the aim of preserving historical memory and recording the lived experiences of influential figures in the field of culture and society of Lorestan.

◄ Researchers in the field of art, history and sociology of art, at the meeting "Review and Criticism of the Culture and Art of Muharram Screen Reading in Azerbaijan", examined one of the Ashura screens and emphasized the ancient history of screen reading, the role of oral tradition in the formation of its narratives, and the coexistence of national and religious identity in these works.

◄ The Deputy Director of Research and Digital Resources of the National Archives and Library of Iran, emphasizing the importance of oral history, said: "Recording today's narratives provides valuable resources for researchers and historians for the next 200 years."

◄ The Head of the Cultural Heritage Department of the General Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Hormozgan announced the start of the implementation of the Hormozgan Oral History Project and said, “This project is being implemented step by step with the aim of identifying, recording and documenting the native and popular narratives of the province.”

◄ In order to protect the intangible heritage and preserve the identity treasures of western Hormozgan, a specialized meeting to identify the bearers of oral history and epic poets was held in Dashti, Parsian County, with the presence of officials and cultural activists.

◄ The book “Rais-e Sazman (Head of the Organization)”, which is the result of four years of research, documentation and discussions with more than 100 senior managers and influential figures of the national media, has completed its writing stages and will be published soon; this work narrates the oral history of the four periods of management of the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation from the beginning of the Islamic Revolution to 2004.

◄ The Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kerman Province and the Director of the National Archives and Library of the Southeast Region of the country emphasized the key role of national archives in data-driven governance, strengthening cultural identity, developing oral history, and joint cooperation in this field.

◄ The Commander of the Masal District of the IRGC announced the holding of a cultural-media event called “Love Story” with the aim of collecting and preserving memories, narratives, and popular works from the days of sacrifice and solidarity.

◄ The training course “Interview in Oral History; Practical and Step-by-Step Learning of the Art of Conversation” was held on August 9 at the National Archives and Library of Iran, taught by Morteza Rasoulipour, a researcher and lecturer in oral history.

◄ At the ceremony commemorating the Journalist's Day, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development emphasized the role of journalists in recording the events of the recent imposed war and said: "An accurate and responsible narrative of the people's resistance and the performance of different parts of the country must be preserved as part of oral history for future generations."

◄ In a meeting between the Director General of Documents and Libraries of the province and the Head of the General Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Qazvin, while commemorating the world registration of Alamut Castles, the necessity of utilizing the capacity of historical documents and oral history to introduce and explain the rich history of this world heritage was emphasized.

◄ The third edition of the book "Setare-ye Foruzan (Shining Star)" - an oral history interview with Noush Afarin Ansari - was published by Peymaneh Salehi with a basic editing and a new structure in the publications of the National Archives and Library of Iran.

◄ A study session and reading of the book “Howz-e Khoon (The Pool of Blood)” was held with the aim of reviewing the selfless role of women during the Holy Defense era and explaining the importance of preserving oral history, with the presence of the administrator, librarian, and a group of active members of the Daneshmand Library.

◄ The “Salnegar-e Avaye Palayesh (Yearbook of the Voice of Refining)” of Tehran Oil Refining Company was unveiled on Monday, August 10, in the presence of the CEO of Tehran Oil Refining Company, a group of managers of the company, and members of the media. This collection has been prepared and unveiled in the form of three special oral history yearbooks of the refinery’s narratives in the years 2023, 2024, and 2025.

◄ The head of the Center for Documentation, Research and Publication of the Sacred Defense and the Revolutionary Guards' Struggles, referring to the necessity of transferring the concepts and facts of the 8-year Sacred Defense and the Second and Third Imposed Wars to the new generation and the international community, and expressing his readiness to receive suggestions and criticism from media elites, said, "Over the past two years, we have published 70 books with strict research standards."

◄ The book "Basaidu 12-13" written by Abdolreza Dashtizadeh, an archaeologist and researcher on Qeshm Island, deals with the oral history, social developments and cultural heritage of the village of Basaidu in the westernmost point of Qeshm Island with an anthropological and narrative approach and was published by Dadkin Publications.

◄ In the presence of the governor and representative of the Supreme Leader in Isfahan province, the book "Oral History of Civic Culture", "Information Database and Civic Culture", as well as the latest achievements and products of the Civic Culture Development Department, were unveiled.

◄ The book and video dialogue collection “Sharh al-Haq; Tarikh-e Shafahi-ye Nafater-e Asnad-e rasmi (The Story of rights: Oral History of Notary Offices)” focusing on the professional narration of five notaries was unveiled on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Iranian Artists’ House.

◄ The unveiling ceremony of two books “Revayat-e 43: Tarikh-e Shafahi-ye Naghsh-e Gashkar-e 43 Imam Ali dar Defa’e Moghaddas (Narrative 43; Oral History of the Role of the 43rd Division of Imam Ali (AS) in the Sacred Defense)” and “Revayat-e Majid-e Bahreini; Farmande-ye Lashkar-e 43 Imam Ali (Narrative Majid Bahreini; Commander of the 43rd Division of Imam Ali (AS))” written by Fereydoun Mahvar Asgari was held in Hamedan.

◄ The eighth “Ab-e Alvandkhordegan (The ones who Drink Alvand water)” gathering was held on August 15 with a new approach, with the presence of a group of people from culture, art, and oral history researchers from Hamedan. This meeting provided a suitable platform for summer reunions, exchanging memories, and addressing the spiritual heritage of the traditional mourning ceremonies of this land.

◄ The book “Mostanad-e Hadi (Hadi’s Documentary)” was published in the form of oral history by Kajaveh Sokhan Soure Mehr Publications, looking at the life and activities of martyr Hadi Baghbani, a journalist and documentary maker from Mazandar.

◄ The Deputy Governor of Isfahan for Politics and Society announced the necessity of digitizing the audio and video archives of the historical Shater Ramadan Palace (Saraye  Soroor) and compiling the first oral history book of this collection titled "Tarikh-e Shafahi-ye Chekameh-haye Soroor (Oral History of the Boots of Soroor)" and emphasized the need to preserve this lasting heritage of Iranian noble music.

◄ The Director General of the Preservation of Works and Dissemination of Values ​​of Sacred Defense and Resistance of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province said: Completing the project of the Sacred Defense and Resistance Museum of the province is a valuable step to pay tribute to the veterans of the province and explain the oral history of the Sacred Defense.

◄ A meeting to review the book "Gomshode-ye dareh-ye Sabz (The Lost Green Valley)" by the late Seyyedeh Maryam Bazargan, the memoirs of the freedwoman Sarafraz Mohammad Ali Kazemi was held in the Zanjan Art Center with the presence of a group of freedmen of the Sacred Defense and writers in the field of fiction and oral history.

◄ A specialized content meeting on the topic of "Student Movement; From the Connection of Religious and National Forces to Resistance against the Dominance of America and England" was held with the presence of Hojjatoleslam Saeed Fakhrzadeh, researcher and historian in the field of oral history, and Engineer Abbas Salimi Namin, director of the Office of Studies and Compilation of Iranian History.

◄ The Director General of the Mazandaran Department of Preservation of Works and Publication of Values ​​of Sacred Defense and Resistance emphasized the need to digitize the monuments of unknown martyrs, immediately record oral history, and form a joint media network to disseminate the culture of sacrifice.

◄ The Director General of the National Documentation Center and Library of the East of the Country, at the unveiling and discussion session about the book "Yaran-e Rastin: Khaterat-e Doktor Hossein Rasaii (True Companions; The Memoirs of Dr. Hossein Rasaii)" held on Thursday, August 20, in the Ferdowsi Hall of the Mashhad University of Science and Technology, said: This book is Khorasan's first step in the oral historiography of personalities.