On the History of Graphic Representations of China in the Russian Periodical Press in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

This article studies the representation of China in caricatures in printed publications of the Russian Empire based on material of the Boxer Rebellion. The study of journal materials of various kinds contributes to understanding the mechanisms of comprehending Another (Chinese) culture and its subsequent representation. The author reviews research on the subject of caricature and describes the context in which stereotypic ideas about China were constructed and communicated in the early 20th century. Caricature is studied in the context of political propaganda. The choice of visual research tools, which the author proposes for working with visual images, allows us to identify clichés and stereotypes that were formed in relation to the Chinese.

Keywords

• imagology
• caricature
• china
• periodicals of the russian empire