Role of diplomacy in the formation of Saint-Petersburg collections of Chinese cultural monuments (1802–1917)

The paper investigates connections between development of Russian diplomacy and formation of collections
of Chinese cultural monuments in Saint-Petersburg in 1802–1917, years when Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian
Empire was operating. It is shown that intensification of diplomatic relations led to many different researches and
collecting of Chinese cultural monuments in museums. Members of Russian Spiritual Mission in Beijing brought
manuscripts and books, works of art, ethnographic materials from China to Saint-Petersburg in the first half
of the XIXth century. These objects were transmitted to museums, scientific organizations or stayed in private
collections for some time. Special attention is given to scantily explored practice of storing Chinese written and
material culture monuments in rooms of Asian department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in General Staff building.
Private collections of diplomats working in China started to form in the second half of the XIXth century. Research
in form of expeditions with the help of Russian diplomatic missions in China became possible by the end of the
century. Diplomatic success that led to establishing international relations on a new high level helped to gain a
lot of diplomatic gifts from China that came to tsars’ collections. Exhibitions in General Staff building of the State
Hermitage show how modern exhibition activity with these monuments opens new horizons for scientific work