Influence of Russian Ethnology on Chinese Ethnology
China and Russia,as neighboring countries with deep historical ties,have made sig-nificant strides in the field of ethnology.This paper takes a chronological approach,aiming to explore the intertwined trajectories of Chinese and Russian ethnology,examining their developmental con-texts.This article broadly divides Russian ethnolo-gy into three stages:The Russian Empire period,the Soviet era,and the post-Soviet period.During the Russian Empire period,the theo-retical and practical aspects of ethnology adopted a"state presence"research orientation.On the one hand,this was reflected in the collective,planned,and large-scale nature of ethnological re-search.On the other hand,it was also seen in the applied characteristics of paying attention to socie-tal realities and serving both the state and the peo-ple—a legacy that has permeated Soviet ethnolo-gy.Despite its relatively limited direct influence on Chinese ethnology during the Russian Empire period,Russian ethnology's impact was quite far-reaching.Notably,the ethnos(этнос)theory pio-neered by ethnologist S.M.Shirokogorov directly influenced Fei Xiaotong's significant theory of"the Pattern of Diversity in Unity of the Chinese Na-tion."During the Soviet period,a comprehensive"infiltration"of the Soviet school of ethnology into the academic and disciplinary systems of Chinese ethnology laid the foundational groundwork for the development of Chinese Marxist ethnology.On the one hand,this is due to the alignment of the Soviet tradition of serving the state with the academic in-terests of Chinese ethnology.On the other hand,this connection was also influenced by the political milieu of the 1950s,which advocated"comprehen-sive learning from the Soviet Union"and"Siniciz-ing the Soviet experience".At that time in China,learning from the Soviet Union emerged as a feasi-ble and necessary path for the development of eth-nology.The introduction of Soviet ethnology had significant influence on both the disciplinary con-struction and theoretical aspects of Chinese ethnol-ogy,particularly evident in institutions like the Minzu University of China,where scholars such as N.N.Cheboksarov played integral roles in its growth.After the"Reform and Opening-up",So-viet ethnological theory experienced a resurgence in China in the 1980s.However,by then the influ-ence of Soviet ethnology on China had relatively weakened;while learning from the Soviet Union,the Chinese academic community had already be-gun charting a distinct path in Chinese ethnology.In the post-Soviet period,Russian ethnology-faced a period of"crisis",which coincided with a diminished influence on Chinese ethnology.Even so,after more than 30 years of exploration,the field of Russian ethnology is gradually stepping out of the crisis.Moreover,in recent years the Rus-sian ethnological circle,represented by V.A.Tishkov,has been increasingly focusing on China.In fact,both China and Russia are multi-ethnic countries that have experienced challenges stem-ming from social transformation,and share similar-ities in the discussion of core issues in ethnology and the research orientation of serving society.Whether in the Soviet era or today,the insights of Russian ethnology on the issue of"unity"are merit exploration,particularly in the context of the Chi-nese academic community's discourse on"forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese Na-tion".Furthermore,given the historical ties and shared objectives of the ethnological circles in both countries,more in-depth academic exchanges and theoretical mutual learning are called for between Russia and China.
Russian ethnologyChinese eth-nological disciplinesSoviet ethnographic schoolhistory of ethnology
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