The Contribution of the Russian Spiritual Christian Mission in Beijing to the History of Russian Mongolian Studies

Introduction. The present article introduces the scholarly activities of Mongolianists who were members of the Russian Spiritual Christian Mission in Beijing. In their studies they touched upon all important aspects of Mongolian studies and in a way played the fundamental role in the history of Russian Mongolian studies. From 1715 to 1956, Russia sent twenty Spiritual Missions to China. Their role was extensively studied in the context of the history of Sino-Russian relations and Chinese studies in Russia, but their importance for Russian Mongolian studies has not been clarified. So, the purpose of this article is to give a complete picture of the scholarly activities of Russian Mongolianists who were members of the Spiritual Missions in Beijing, and to further analyze and evaluate their contribution to the development of Mongolian studies in Russia. The works of these Mongolianists are numerous in number and diverse in contents: history, religion, literature, language and other aspects of life of the Mongolian people in the 18th–19th centuries. The primary research materials consist of the published works of Mongolists from the Russian Spiritual Christian Mission, as well as the works of contemporary Mongolists. This article primarily employs a descriptive method. Results. The scholarly horizons of the Mongolists from the Russian Spiritual Christian Mission in Beijing encompassed not only external aspects but also profound questions concerning the life and historical destiny of the Mongols. The notes and diaries of E. F. Timkovsky, O. M. Kovalevsky and E. Kovalevsky present a lively picture of the Mongols of that time. I. K. Rossokhin, A. L. Leontiev, S. V. Lipovtsov, A. G. Vladykin, Hyacinth (N. Y. Bichurin) and P. I. Kamensky studied Mongolian history on the basis of sources written in the Chinese and the Manchu languages. Buddhism formed a major part of the Mongol studies of O. M. Kovalevsky and V. P. Vasiliev. The study of Mongolian language and literature also reached the world leading level under the guidance of O. M. Kovalevsky. It is necessary to single out “Ancient Mongolian Tale of Genghis Khan” by Palladius (P. F. Kafarov). It is a translation of the famous historical monument of the Mongols Yuan-chao bi-shi. This translation for the first time familiarized the whole Europe with the most profound history of the ancient Mongols. Conclusions. The activities of the members of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Beijing in promoting Mongol studies have a long history and are rich in content. Their activities played an important part in the development of the Mongol studies in Russia.

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