Du Jiaqi,
Master’s Student, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China, e‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cultural Activity of the Russian Emigration in Harbin (1900–1930)
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2023-3-18
The article provides a historical and cultural review of the basic factual material representing the sociocultural adaptation of representatives of the second migration wave from Russia to China and characterising the main directions of the development of Russian culture in Harbin. The period of 1900–1930 studied in this article is characterised by positive socio-economic factors for Russian emigrants to establish multi-level educational institutions, newspapers and magazines on various subjects, Russian-language publishing houses, cultural and creative communities in Harbin. The experience of preserving national cultural values, spiritual, linguistic and mental environment by Russians in the education of the younger generation in a foreign cultural environment is shown. The implementation of creative potential in the field of literature, art, and publishing has been studied. From 1900–1930 the formation and development of the Russian cultural and educational center in Harbin was facilitated by the purposeful creation of an integral education for the children of the Russian community, i.e. 14 public schools and more than 60 private educational institutions (preschool “children’s lighthouses”, a school for deaf and mute children, gymnasiums, institutions of secondary vocational education). The fact of teaching in Russian in all schools, which was not typical for other Russian communities in China is stated. The significance of the Harbin Faculty of Law and the Russian–Chinese Polytechnic Institute created by Russian emigrants for the development of education and the training of qualified personnel with the Russian language knowledge in Harbin and Northeast China is shown. The main influence of Russian emigration on the cultural development of the city was noted by Russian intelligentsia, including a large group of famous people active in literature, music, and art. In particular, the activity of the literary association “Churaevka” that brought up two generations of Russian poets and made a great contribution to the prosperity of Russian poetry in Harbin is shown. The influence of periodicals of Russian emigration on Harbin journalism is revealed. The formation of the “Russian Society of Orientalists” for the next cultural exchange between East and West is noted. The conclusion about the rich cultural heritage and great contribution of Russian emigration to the development of educational, literary, artistic, and publishing spheres in the Northeast of China is made.
Publishing: 28/06/2023
The article has been received by the editor on 27/01/2023
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]
Links: Issue 3 2023
Keywords: Russian emigration in Harbin; Chinese Eastern Railway (CER); educational activities, activities in literature and art, publishing activities