In modern dictionaries the word itihāsa is defined as “narrative, legend, history”. Lexicographers usually suggest the simple etymology: iti ha āsa “thus, truly, it was”. By Kshirasvāmin (the 11th century) it is said: “iti ha āsīd yatreti itihāsah, itir evamarthe, hah kilarthe”…
This year’s Diakonoff Readings marking the 110th birthday anniversary of Igor M. Diakonoff (1915‒1999) will be held at the Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg) on April 17‒18, 2025.