Russian Studies in China: Yesterday and Today

The objective of this article is to present a comprehensive overview of the study of Russian culture, with a particular focus on the Russian language and literature in China over the past three decades, with a specific emphasis on the twenty-first century. Additionally, this article aims to identify the primary research areas within the field of Russian studies in China. This is the first attempt to review the current state of Russian studies in China from both literary and linguistic perspectives. The principal sources are scholarly works published in China over the past three decades. At various points in time, the trajectory of Russian studies in China has shown a tendency towards ideologization, manifesting to varying degrees. With regard to translation activities, Russian studies in China have a commendable tradition. Most translators have selected works of Russian literature that align with the ideas and concepts needed by the Chinese context at a given time. In the field of literary studies, Chinese specialists in Russian philology have achieved serious research results, especially in the field of the history of Russian literature and the understanding of the theory of M. M. Bakhtin. The history of Chinese linguistics testifies to the influence of Soviet linguistics on its current development to a certain extent. The complex process of the development of Russian studies in China is described in general terms: from training Russian-language translators to translation activities in the field of literary translation and scholarly translation of Russian research works, as well as the formation of independent Russian studies in China in the process of assimilating scholarly ideas. In the past, Chinese scholarship was largely characterized by the adoption of Russian cultural norms. However, in recent times, there has been a notable shift. Today, Chinese scholars are not only rethinking these norms but also forming a distinct “Chinese consciousness” and “Chinese position,” which has led to the emergence of a “Chinese school” in the field of world Russian studies. This article outlines some possible priority areas for Russian studies in China in the nearest future.