Vladimir putin is an erudite man. During a meeting with Germany's Angela Merkel in Wiesbaden on October 15th, he noted that this was the spa town where Dostoyevsky played and lost at roulette. Yet in Tehran the next day, he kept his knowledge of 19th century literature quiet, choosing not to mention a Russian poet and diplomat, Alexander Griboyedov, who was killed in Tehran when the Russian embassy was destroyed by a mob.rnRussia's deep-rooted apprehension about Iran echoed in the news spread by its security services on the eve of Mr Putin's visit that Islamic fanatics were plotting to kill the Russian president. This added spice to Mr Putin's attendance at a summit of Caspian countries. (The last Russian leader to come to Tehran was Stalin in 1943, for a summit meeting with Churchill and Roosevelt.)
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