The Far East in the Policy of Russian Empire in the Late 19th–Early 20th Centuries: the Minion from China (Historiography of the Late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China)

Abstract. The article is a summary of the Chinese historiography of the Late Qing Dynasty and Republic of China period on the Russian Empire in the Far East in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author has made an attempt to fully explore the trend of the early Chinese historiography before 1949. Already in the period of Late Qing Dynasty and Republic of China, the basic line of development for further Chinese historiography of the People’s Republic of China period in relation to the Russian presence in the Far East was laid. The publication of archives material and treaties is a crucial task for Chinese historians. The main works and documents from the Russian side have been translated, thanks to which the Chinese colleagues will be able to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis on the subject matter in the future. It is worth mentioning that, unlike Soviet historiography and PRC historiography (including Taiwanese historiography after 1949), the historiography of the Late Qing Dynasty and the ROC was minimally politicized, which gives some works of that period scientific relevance to the present day.

Keywords: historiography, China, ROC, Qing Dynasty, Russian in Far East, Chinese Eastern Railway, Russo-Chinese Bank.