East Asian Studies in Russia

Abstract

Russia has an extremely rich and diverse background in East Asian Studies. After briefly introducing its historical roots, we will turn our attention to major organisations, including journals. Afterwards, we will discuss strengths and weaknesses as perceived by us. The beginnings of East Asian Studies in Russia are closely related to the first contacts of Russians with the countries of East Asia and the advance of the Russians into Siberia, which started under the reign of Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible, 1530-1584). The development of oriental studies in Russia benefited from the educational reforms under the reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725), who considered it necessary to study oriental languages. The conclusion of the Nerchinsk treaty with China in 1689 and the development of the Kamchatka peninsula by Russia were another demonstration of her political and trade interests in the Far East. So, it was not purely by chance that the Russian government decided to stimulate the study of East Asian languages.