The initial stage of Russian-Chinese cultural interactions

The article focuses on the role of cultural exchanges between Russia and China in the 19th century and highlights the following aspects of Russian-Chinese cultural interactions at the initial stage: the first trips of Chinese diplomats abroad, the role of the Orthodox mission in spreading knowledge about China in Russia, literature exchange, the contribution of Russian writers to popularizing Chinese culture and of Chinese writers and revolutionaries to popularizing Russian literature. The author came to the following conclusions. The Chinese diplomatic mission in Russia in the 19th century was not numerous (Bin Chun, Li Hongzhan and some others); visits of official delegations were not frequent either, which had some implications for the negligible outcome of long-term interactions and cultural exchanges. Another opportunity to get acquainted with China and Chinese culture was provided by the establishment of the Russian Orthodox Mission, which played an important role in spreading knowledge about China in Russia, as well as in the birth of Russian Chinese studies and the formation of a pleiad of Orientalists (Bichurin, Vasilyev). Chinese literature in Russia was in demand among not only scholars, but also writers, who contributed greatly to the dissemination of Chinese culture. Russian literature developed an interest in Chinese culture and classical literature, which was reflected in the works of Pushkin and Tolstoy. “Chinese motifs” are heard in Ruslan and Lyudmila, Eugene Onegin, and “To a Friend”. Pushkin also researched and edited expedition reports and letters about China. He was a friend of Bichurin and positively evaluated his translation of San Zi Jing (Rus. Troeslovie; En. The Three Character Classic). Tolstoy seriously studied Confucianism and Taoism and was directly involved in the translation of the Tao Te Ching from French and German. China also gradually began to become familiar with Russian literature. Tolstoy's works had the greatest influence - they were very common in China at the beginning of the twentieth century. Many young people of the time - first of all, revolutionaries and writers, the first leaders of the Communist Party of China (Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Lu Xun and Hu Shih, Mao Dun, Ba Jin, etc.) - liked Tolstoy's works. The worldview of Tolstoy the thinker and the humanistic spirit of his works became an important spiritual nourishment for the development of modern Chinese literature; together with translations of his texts, Russian cultural and philosophical views entered the Chinese spiritual space. Further processes of interaction and exchanges between the two countries took place in various directions, became a link for modern international cooperation and the desire for common development at the beginning of the 21st century.