Prerequisites for the Reception of Herzen in China at the Beginning of the 20th Century

Abstract

The article analyzes the economic, political and cultural exchanges between Russia and China before 1900 and at the beginning of the 20th century, which were the prerequisites and the basis for the spread of Herzen's work and Russian literature in China. The article deals with the humanitarian traditions of Russian literature and the free spirit of Russian writers, represented by Herzen, which were in demand in Chinese literature of that time as well as in Russian. The article reveals the phenomenon of the perception of Herzen's literary and social ideas by Chinese revolutionary leaders (Liang Qichao and Li Dazhao). The author analyzes the similarities and differences in their perception and understanding of Herzen's ideas. The analysis of the factor of Herzen's reception in China is significant for subsequent Herzen studies in China, the study of the Russian-Chinese literary dialogue and the prospects of world literary development in the context of globalization. The beginning of literary Herzen studies in China gave impetus to the gradual transition of researchers to the study of the content, artistic form and other literary merits of Herzen's works.