TEHRAN – Iranian translator and film critic Bijang Ashtali passed away on Saturday, June 8th at his 64-year-old Tehran home.
Ashtari has been battling cancer in recent years, but the cause of death was announced as a heart attack, Isna reported.
Through the translation and publication of numerous important works in the field of contemporary history and politics, he made a lasting contribution to raising awareness and deepening historical understanding among Persian readers.
Ashtali began his translation career in the field of art and film journalism in the early 1980s, and worked for a while as a film critic for newspapers and magazines such as “Donya-ye Tassvir” (Image of Image).
He became a symbol of translation of historical texts related to communism, totalitarianism, and various forms of dictatorship around the world.
Since the mid-2000s, he embarked on a major project to translate biographies and events related to the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc.
Among his famous translated works are “The Young Stalin,” “The Harem of Gaddafi” and “The Aquarium of Pyongyang.”
His other notable translated works include “The Daughter of Stalin,” “Stalin: The Court of the Led Tsar,” “The Manuscript Doesn’t Burn,” and “Commander: The Life and Death of Ernesto Che Guevara.”
His translations have been revived in multiple circles and have played an unparalleled role in enlightening readers who are hungry for the weary history of a new generation of ideology.
SS/SAB