“Mongolian Issue” in Newspaper The Eastern Review, Late 19th Century

Introduction. The article is devoted to the Mongolian topic on a regional (oblastniki) edition pages The Eastern Review, which paid a very serious attention to Mongolia. Goal of investigation — description of the Mongolian topic directions in an edition, having treated Mongolia as a trade partner and possible field in the struggle against China, as well as the newspaper’s point of view in definition of Mongolian way of involvement in Russian sphere of influence. Materials and methods. The research is based on The Eastern Review’s publications, the source rarely used in Russian-Mongolian relations investigation in the given historical period. When writing the article, authors stuck to the material presentation problem-chronological method, more suitable to the formulated concept. Special historic-comparative and historic-genetic methods have been used as well. Results and conclusions. The authors identified The Eastern Review’s main Mongolian topic directions: Mongolian “national character’s” peculiarities, Russian-Mongolian trade principles, Mongolian place in Russian geopolitical strategy. According to the paper, the Mongols possessed peace loving character and the capacity for “cultural sensitivity”. The newspaper strictly objected those who treated the Mongols as ignorant people not capable to progress.  The staff stressed the need for development of the Russian-Mongolian relations and willingly placed the materials about Russian merchants looking for new trade routs in Mongolia on its pages. The newspaper considered the undeveloped transport infrastructure and the opposition of China, which feared the strengthening of Russian influence on the Mongols, to be the main obstacles to the development of Russian-Mongolian trade. The edition found the way out in diplomatic methods, able to give assistance to the Russian merchants in the Mongolian market conquest. In Russia’s position definition in connection with Mongolia despite the supporters of strong hand the staff declared the principle of soft force, being sure that Russian goods, Russian mentality and wise management would attract Mongolia to the Russian side better than weapons. 

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