From the Borders of Russia to the Capital of China: Russian Astronomical Researches in China in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

This article deals with the history of the Russian Orthodox Mission in China, founded in Beijing in 1715, which existed until 1955. It played an important role in the development of Russian–Chinese relations. It also became a centre of China’s academic studies and the first training school for Russian sinologists. During the first half of the nineteenth century, China pursued an isolationist policy. Consequently, Russian scientists could only receive reliable information about China from members of the Russian Orthodox Mission in Beijing. This article focuses on the history of scientific cooperation between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Orthodox Mission in Beijing during the nineteenth century, especially with regard to astronomical investigations.