From the Editor
The history of Russian-Chinese relations has more than 400 years. Its basis was laid by mutual trade interests that arose at the beginning of the 17th century. The two-sided ties between imperial Russia and Qing China received a special impulse in the second half of the 19th – early 20 century: this is the development of the tea trade, the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER), the visit of heir to the throne Nikolay Aleksandrovich to the Chinese “tea capital” – the city of Hankou. During this period, as a result of a series of negotiations, several significant Russian-Chinese diplomatic documents were signed, reflecting the interest of both sides in ensuring security, as well as regulating trade issues. In the context of the growing expansion of Western countries in the Far East, these agreements became the basis for the formation of allied relations and cultural interaction between Russia and the Qing Empire.
Questions of Economic Hhistory
V.G. Sharonova
Establishment and Development of Trade and Economic Activities of Russian Merchants in Harbin at the Beginning of 20th Century
The article looks into the development of Russian trade in Harbin at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. Upon arrival in China, Russian merchants solved the problem of providing Russian citizens with the necessary goods and establishing relations with Chinese merchants to promote their goods to China. With the construction of Harbin and the Chinese Eastern Railway, the volume of imported Russian goods increased, local Chinese trade was established and grew, which had a positive effect on the strengthening of bilateral economic relations.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Sharonova V.G. Establishment and Development of Trade and Economic Activities of Russian Merchants in Harbin at the Beginning of 20th Century // Historical Courier. 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 13–29, [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-01.pdf]
Questions of Economic Hhistory
G.N. Berezhnaya
The Greeks of Vladivostok and Harbin (Late 19th – Early 20th Century). The Antipas Family
The article is an overview of the Greek diaspora in two major cities of the Far East – Vladivostok and Harbin – in the first decades of the 20th century. In Harbin, the most famous Greek family was the Antipas family. The head of the family was Gerasim Dmitrievich Antipas. He remained in the memory of the people of Harbin as a conscientious church figure and a generous philanthropist. The Antipas family has been involved in charity work in Harbin for several decades. The article reports new facts about this family, which have not been published anywhere before, testifying to the extended family ties of the Antipases among the Greek diaspora. Representatives of this family led the Greek Society in Harbin until 1943, which indicates the high authority of the Antipas.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Berezhnaya G.N. The Greeks of Vladivostok and Harbin (Late 19th – Early 20th Century). The Antipas Family // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 30–39. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-02.pdf]
Questions of Economic Hhistory
I.V. Chapygin
Economic Foundations of the Life of the Cossacks of the Three Rivers (China, 1920–1945)
The article examines the Cossack emigration in China on the example of the Three Rivers. In the Three Rivers, emigrant Cossacks mastered various types of activities. Due to the peculiarities of the social organization and economic infrastructure, the emigrant Cossacks were able to adapt to the harsh local conditions in a relatively short time and arrange the life of their families in an unfamiliar territory. The economic infrastructure of the Cossacks and China was developing quite actively at that time, despite some problems caused by the situation in the country. There is no doubt that successful adaptation became possible thanks to centuries-old strong Cossack traditions in military and village administration, as well as commerce and agriculture.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Chapygin I.V. Economic Foundations of the Life of the Cossacks of the Three Rivers (China, 1920–1945) // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 40–50. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-03.pdf]
Questions of Economic Hhistory
E.V. Bakaldina
Information about Hankow in the S.N. Milyutin’s Letters to Members of the Botkin Family
The article analyzes S. N. Milyutin’s letters to P.P. Botkin and A.P. Pikulina, nee Botkina, written in the mid-1880s – early 1890s. This is an important source about the life of Russian tea merchants in Hankou in Chinа. The author shares the details of the life of tea merchants. Milyutin also talks about significant events such as a visit to Hankow by Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, Archimandrite Anatoly Tikhay, and the gunboat “Sivuch”. And although there is information about some of them from other sources, the details conveyed by an eyewitness to the events who took a direct part in them give additional value to his letters.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Bakaldina E.V. Information about Hankow in the S.N. Milyutin’s Letters to Members of the Botkin Family // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 51–66. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-04.pdf]
Russians in Harbin
E.I. Nesterova
Opening of the Russian Consulate General in Harbin: Prehistory (1906–1907)
The article discusses the main factors that forced the Russian government to urgently open a consulate general in Harbin in 1907. Based on the studied archival documents, the author comes to the conclusion that after the Chinese government decided to open some cities in Manchuria, the absence of consulates in Harbin, Mukden, Girin began to be considered by Russian political elites as a serious omission that could weaken Russia's position not only in Manchuria, but also in whole China.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Nesterova E.I. Opening of the Russian Consulate General in Harbin: Prehistory (1906–1907) // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 67–79. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-05.pdf]
Russians in Harbin
G.I. Erofeeva
Daniel’s Family is in the Service of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Materials for the Biography
The article highlights the pages of the biography of the Daniel dynasty who connected their lives with the Chinese Eastern Railway. Their contribution to the formation and development of the road deserves special attention. E.V. Daniel worked for 18 years at the Chinese Eastern Railway, 12 of them as an Authorized Road Manager in communication with the Chinese authorities. The signature of E.V. Daniel stands on a number of important Russian-Chinese contractual acts regulating various spheres of activity of the road. Evgeny Vasilyevich was a member of various scientific and educational and charitable societies of Harbin. The construction work and subsequent operation of the Chinese-Eastern Railway line required the creation of a powerful armed guard – a special guard. V.V. and A.V. Daniel connected their lives with this military formation.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Erofeeva G.I. Daniel’s Family is in the Service of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Materials for the Biography // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 80–94. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-06.pdf]
Russians in Harbin
V.G. Datsyshen, Dai Jianbing
V.D. Lachinov and D.P. Kazakevich – the First Managers of the Chinese Eastern Railway in the Emigrant Period of Harbin History
The article is devoted to two famous figures of Harbin, V.D. Lachinov and D.P. Kazakevich, who in the first years after the revolution of 1917 headed the Chinese Eastern Railway. The study was based on the materials of E.Kh. Nilus, stored in the Archives of the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Thanks to new sources introduced into scientific circulation, little-known pages of the history of the CER are revealed.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Datsyshen V.G., Dai Jianbing. V.D. Lachinov and D.P. Kazakevich – the First Managers of the Chinese Eastern Railway in the Emigrant Period of Harbin History // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 95–102. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-07.pdf]
Russians in Harbin
M.V. Krotova
On the Eve of the Silver Anniversary of the Chinese Eastern Railway and Harbin
The article discusses the process of preparation for the 25th anniversary of the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1923 in Harbin. The focus of the study is the circumstances of the approval of the start date for the construction of the CER and Harbin. The role of the Board of the CER Society and the CER Administration, various public organizations and individuals, both Russians and Chinese, in the preparation of the anniversary celebration is shown. New sources have been identified in the Russian State Historical Archive, revealing details about the organization and financing of celebrations. Conclusions are given about the symbolic significance of the anniversary for the Russian colony in Manchuria.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Krotova M.V. On the Eve of the Silver Anniversary of the Chinese Eastern Railway and Harbin // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 103–114. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-08.pdf]
Russians in Harbin
O.A. Reneva
Monks of the White Mountain: The Way to the East
The article discusses the history of the St. Nicholas Monastery on Belaya Gora (Osinsky district of Perm province) and its monks in the period 1918–1924, both those who died during the Civil War and emigrated to the east, Siberia and China. Particular attention is paid to the fate of Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov), who saved the bodies of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna and her companions from scolding, as well as Hegumen Juvenal (Kilin), who later served in the churches of Harbin, Shanghai and Beijing. For the first time, documents on the closure of the monastery in 1924 were introduced into scientific circulation, which are stored in the Archive of the Kungur municipal district.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Reneva O.A. Monks of the White Mountain: The Way to the East // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 115–123. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-09.pdf]
Russians in Harbin
E.N. Nazemtseva
The Influence of Russian Political and Military Emigration Representatives’ Provocations against Soviet Consulates in China on Sino-Soviet Relations in the 1920s–1930s
The article examines the struggle of the political and military part of the Russian white emigration with the Soviet government on the example of provocations against the USSR representative offices in China. Based on the documents of the OGPU and NKID INO, as well as special literature, the facts of the organization by the emigration leadership of armed attacks on Soviet consulates and their employees in different provinces and cities of China, propaganda activities against Soviet consulates in order to prevent the implementation of Soviet policy in China and the Far East are shown. The measures of the Chinese authorities aimed at preventing such actions were also considered. The influence of these facts on the Soviet-Chinese relations of the 1920s-1930s is revealed.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Nazemtseva E.N. The Influence of Russian Political and Military Emigration Representatives’ Provocations against Soviet Consulates in China on Sino-Soviet Relations in the 1920s–1930s // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 124–136. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-10.pdf]
The Russian Press in China and about China
E.V. Drobotushenko
News of the Public Council of the Russian Concession in Hankou as a Source on the History of Russian Emigration in China
The article, based on a number of issues for different years, characterizes the most interesting Russian-language periodical in China at the turn of the second or third decades of the 20th, the ‘News of the Public Council of the Russian Concession in Hankou’. An analysis of the publications of a number of issues of the ‘News of the Public Council of the Russian Concession in Hankou’ allows us to say that the publication provides very interesting material on the history of the Concession. Some materials confirm known facts, while others give new, previously unknown information. At the same time, further work is required to identify and analyze all issues of the named edition.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Drobotushenko E.V. News of the Public Council of the Russian Concession in Hankou as a Source on the History of Russian Emigration in China // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 137–145. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-11.pdf]
The Russian Press in China and about China
A.G. Golikov
“Novoye Vremya” about on the Events of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895
The article analyzes the publications identified in the daily well-informed influential private newspaper “Novoye vremya”. It was printed in a significant circulation in St. Petersburg, but it could also be bought at the stations of all state-owned railways of the country. Its readers found information about the main stages of the Sino-Japanese war and editorial opinions about the position that Russia should take in this conflict. “Novoye vremya” consistently and decisively argued that Japan should under no circumstances receive either protectors over Korea or territorial increments in Manchuria. This should be achieved by acting together with other powers and trying to defend Russian interests, if possible by diplomatic means. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the position of the newspaper as a whole coincided with the foreign policy line of the government, which was reflected in the issues of the publication of the Russian Foreign Ministry – “Journal de St.-Pétersbourg”.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Golikov A.G. “Novoye Vremya” about on the Events of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895 // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 146–151. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-12.pdf]
The Russian Press in China and about China
I.S. Rybachenok
The Boxer Rebellion in China on the Pages of the “Novoe Vremya” Newspaper
The Yihetuan People’s Liberation movement in China (1898–1901), which received the name “boxer rebellion” in journalism and then in Western European historiography, is covered in sufficient detail in research articles and monographs concerning the problems of international relations in the Far East. Its origin, ideology, organizational form, program slogans, social composition, relations with local authorities and the central government, periodization are studied. For a historian studying Russian foreign policy, the reflection of the events of that time in the domestic periodical press is of great interest.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Rybachenok I.S. The Boxer Rebellion in China on the Pages of the “Novoe Vremya” Newspaper // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 152–161. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-13.pdf]
The Russian Press in China and about China
Sun Yizhi
Monarchist Newspaper “Shankhayskoye Novoe Vremya” (“The Shanghai New Times”) and Russian Emigre (1921–1925)
The article focuses on the history of the famous emigrant newspaper “Shankhayskoye Novoe Vremya” (“The Shanghai New Times”) in 1921–1925. The author of the article attempted a comprehensive analysis of the main line of politics by her editorial board, headed by E.K. Gedroytz, as well as relations between the editorial board and various Russian organizations in Shanghai. Analysis of the editorial policy of the newspaper showed that during 1921–1925. Editor-in-chief E.K. Gedroytz had complete control over the newspaper. Splits within the editorial office have always meant the departure of those people who were opponents of the editor-in-chief's policies.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Sun Yizhi. Monarchist Newspaper “Shankhayskoye Novoe Vremya” (“The Shanghai New Times”) and Russian Emigre (1921–1925) // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 162–178. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-14.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
T.Yu. Feklova
Magneto-Meteorological Stations of the Saint-Petersburg’s Academy of Sciences in China in the Second Half of the 19th Century
The article reviewed the history of the organization of Beijing Observatory’s magneto-meteorological stations of the Saint-Petersburg Academy of Sciences in China in the second half of the 19th century. In the article revealed the names of station’s observers and shown the main tools and methods, used during the observation. The results of the investigations (tables of the air temperature of the near-surface layer) are presented in the article.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Feklova T.Yu. Magneto-Meteorological Stations of the Saint-Petersburg’s Academy of Sciences in China in the Second Half of the 19th Century // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 179–188. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-15.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
A.M. Kharitonova
The Book Collection of the Diplomat P.K. Rudanovsky in the Library of St. Petersburg State University
The article represents the description of the book collection that belonged to the diplomat Pyotr Konstantinovich Rudanovsky (1871–1904) and was transferred to the library of St. Petersburg University, as well as the reconstruction of the biography of this diplomat. The portrait of the diplomat is supplemented with new assessments given to him by his contemporaries. The case on the transfer of his inheritance was analyzed. The collection of books transferred to the academic library of the university has more than fifty books, it includes – educational literature; translations of Chinese historical works; geographical or historical works about China.
The reported study was funded by RFBR and CASS, project No. 21-59-93001.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Kharitonova A.M. The Book Collection of the Diplomat P.K. Rudanovsky in the Library of St. Petersburg State University // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 189–198. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-16.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
Duo Limei
Russian Professional Artists of the 19th Century in China
This article examines the activities and achievements of the first Russian professional artist of the 19th century. Anton Mikhailovich Legashev in China through a portrait of a Chinese official painted by him, stored at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada. On the one hand, A.M. Legashev tried to realize breakthroughs in self-realization and artistic creativity through the paintings he created during his stay in China, at the same time he served the tsarist government and carried out a political mission to explore China. A.M. Legashev’s surviving paintings played an important role in visualizing the construction of cultural exchanges between China and Russia.
The article was written as part of the Gugun Museum project “Research on Russian Cultural Relics of the Gugun Museum”.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Duo Limei. Russian Professional Artists of the 19th Century in China // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 199–207. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-17.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
Du Jiaqi
Cultural Activity of the Russian Emigration in Harbin (1900–1930)
The article is devoted to the socio-cultural adaptation of representatives of the second migration wave from Russia to Harbin. A historical and cultural overview of the basic actual material in the aspect of the historical period 1900-1930 is given. The experience of preserving Russian national-cultural values, spiritual, linguistic and mental environment in the education of the young generation in someone else's cultural environment is presented. The significant influence of Russian emigration on education, literature and art, as well as on Harbin journalism, is shown.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Du Jiaqi. Cultural Activity of the Russian Emigration in Harbin (1900–1930) // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 208–219. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-18.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
M.M. Perekalina
Russians in China: Backstory of Success (On Materials of Fonds of Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg)
Central State Historical Archive of Saint-Petersburg keeps about 2000 funds of civil institutions of Saint-Petersburg (Petrograd) and Saint-Petersburg (Petrograd) Governorate of the late 18th – early 20th centuries, including funds of educational institutions and numerous other organizations, with which in pre-revolutionary period were connected fates of Russians, who later found themselves in China, and who continued their professional activities there. Heroes of our narrative took took an active part in the creation of Shanghai piano school (Z.A. Pribatkova and B.S. Zakharov), the formation of architectural appearance of Harbin (A.A. Bernardazzi), and the diplomatic service of N.G. Poppe, like his live, were short but extremely intense. An appeal to the documents of the archive allows us to describe their life during the period of the formation of talents.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Perekalina M.M. Russians in China: Backstory of Success (On Materials of Fonds of Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg) // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 220–233. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-19.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
K. Knyazeva
Russian Emigre Architects and Their Legacy in Shanghai
The article focuses on the activities of architects and engineers in the Russian diaspora in Shanghai in the early twentieth century. It introduces the key figures in the construction and design industry, follows their career paths and discusses the stylistic characteristics of their works. The surviving Russian-built landmarks are given an overview from the standpoint of their significance for today’s historic urban landscape. The conclusion assesses the feasibility of prospective studies of the built legacy of the Russian diaspora in Shanghai.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Knyazeva K. Russian Emigre Architects and Their Legacy in Shanghai // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. С. 234–255. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-20.pdf]
Cultural and Historical Heritage
E.P. Yakovleva
The Manchurian Period in the Life of Art Historian E.B. Vandrovskaya
The article, based on literary materials and documentary sources from the private archive (Republic of Kazakhstan), the Scientific Archive of the Russian Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg and the Foundation “Russian Emigrants in Manchuria” of the Khabarovsk Territory State Archive, is devoted to the Manchurian period in the life of Elena Borisovna Vandrovskaya (1922–2002) – a famous Kazakhstani art critic, museum worker and teacher. Through the prism of historical events, the features of the formation and formation of the personality of the future art historian, who left a great mark in the culture, science and education of Kazakhstan, are shown.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Yakovleva E.P. The Manchurian Period in the Life of Art Historian E.B. Vandrovskaya // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 256–272. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-21.pdf]
Modern Cooperation
A.V. Surzhko
Russian-Chinese Relations in the Feld of Science and Education. Experience of Krasnoyarsk State University in 1988–2006
The article examines the experience of cooperation between Russia and China in the field of science and higher education after overcoming the long-term Soviet-Chinese split. One of the largest higher educational institutions in Siberia, the Krasnoyarsk State University (KrasSU, KSU) is taken as an example. The first contacts of the university with educational and scientific organizations of the PR China date back to 1988. It takes less than twenty years to establish in cooperation with China and develop the philological, physical, biological, chemical, economic and other faculties of KrasSU. The work of the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages (FMFL) which was established in 1996 and became a key element of the university in matters of international cooperation is considered in detail. Regular delegations as well as student exchanges, internships and practices became one of the main tools for the rapprochement of the Krasnoyarsk University with China. The most productive interaction was carried out with the organizations of Harbin (Heilongjiang province). The problems of interpersonal interaction between Russian and Chinese students, the difficulties in establishing a full-fledged partnership are considered. The personal contribution of the scientific and pedagogical staff of the university in the development of relations with the PR China is displayed. The experience gained by KrasSU is of great importance for the successful development of the university partnership between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. At present, the traditions of KrasSU are successfully continued by the Siberian Federal University which was established in 2006.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Surzhko A.V. Russian-Chinese Relations in the Feld of Science and Education. Experience of Krasnoyarsk State University in 1988–2006 // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 273–285. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-22.pdf]
Modern Cooperation
I.V. Lizunova, E.V. Pshenichnaya, T.N. Ershova
Library and Information Exchange is the Most Important Area of Russian-Chinese Interactions (Experience, Potential and Capabilities of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the SB RAS)
The article highlights the key areas of library and information exchange within the framework of the international activities of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the SB RAS as a scientific, information and cultural center in Siberia and the Far East. The stages of scientific work on the creation of full-text databases of the SPNTB SB RAS of its own generation are considered as the basis for information support of scientific research. The assessment of the results of this work and the prospects for the development of library and information exchange with Chinese scientific and scientific and technical organizations are analyzed. Issues of humanitarian cooperation with various libraries in the PRC are covered.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
How to cite: Lizunova I.V., Pshenichnaya E.V., Ershova T.N. Library and Information Exchange is the Most Important Area of Russian-Chinese Interactions (Experience, Potential and Capabilities of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the SB RAS) // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 3 (29), pp. 286–295. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-3-23.pdf]