Moscow: Nauka Publ., 2014. ISBN 978-5-02-039048-5

2015 marked the 60th anniversary of Academician V. S. Myasnikov's scientific activity. This event coincided with the publication of the 7-volume collection of scientific works "The Castalsky Key of the Sinologist "(Moscow, 2014), in which Vladimir Stepanovich presented in a revised and expanded form his main works that were published from 1958 to 2014.The author thematically divided the works included in the collection into seven volumes. At the same time, voluminous volumes do not include all the works of Vladimir Stepanovich, of which there are more than 600 in total.

The entire collection is preceded by a preface, in which V. S. Myasnikov speaks about the mission of Russian Sinology, clearly showing that this discipline, by virtue of its purpose, embodies the most important features of Russian science and culture. First of all, he gives an explanation of the name he chose, quoting the lines of A. S. Pushkin:

 
 
 Castalsky Klyuch with a wave of inspiration 
 In the Mirskaya steppe, he gives water to exiles. 
 
 

V. S. Myasnikov further explains that the Castalian Key is located at the foot of Mount Parnassus, was revered as a source of inspiration for the patron of the arts of Apollo and the Muses, and the path from it lay to the temple of Apollo in Delphi. "Without inspiration," writes V. S. Myasnikov, "there can be no creativity" (vol. 1, p. 7). The main source of inspiration for Russian Sinologists, he calls "love for their Fatherland and the desire to serve it faithfully. Respect for the Chinese people, their history and culture, and a deep knowledge of the peculiarities of Chinese civilization are the necessary baggage of each of those who embark on the path of serving Russia in the field of its relations with China" (vol.1, p. 16).

V. S. Myasnikov's long-term service to the Fatherland was embodied in his numerous works devoted to various problems of the history of China, Russia, Russian-Chinese and international relations; features of Chinese civilization, culture, and ideology

Irina POPOVA-Doctor of Historical Sciences, Director of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg.

philosophy of history, history of science, and source studies. V. S. Myasnikov made a significant contribution to the study of each of these areas, and the main topic for him was and still is the history of Russian-Chinese relations from the moment of their establishment until today. From the first steps in science, he followed the principle of "history is a strict and accurate science" (vol. 6, p. 59) and justified each of his conclusions with data from archival sources, many of which he introduced into scientific circulation. S. L. Tikhvinsky in one of his speeches quoted the words of R. V. Vyatkin, who served as Deputy Director of the Department of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Director of the Institute of Sinology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where V. S. Myasnikov was recruited in 1956. Even then, R. V. Vyatkin, taking into account the scientific interests and experience of the young scientist with the materials of the Manchurian Archive, which arrived in Russia in 1901 and was returned to the USSR as a sign of support for the young People's Republic of China in 1956, pointed out the connecting role ("messenger") of V. S. Myasnikov, who was just beginning his career in science, sinology and archival studies.

This scientific status of V. S. Myasnikov confirms the content of each of the volumes of the collection of his works. The first volume includes the revised monograph " The Qing Empire and the Russian State in the XVII century "(first edition-Moscow: Nauka-GRVL, 1980), as well as essays dedicated to the teachers of V. S. Myasnikov-P. E. Skachkov, M. I. Kazanin, S. L. Tikhvinsky. The second volume includes the monograph "A Brief Outline of the history of Chinese diplomacy" and a number of articles united under the general title "Etudes of Chinese Diplomacy". The third volume reproduces the updated work " Contract articles approved. Russia and China: 400 years of interstate relations", containing the chronology and periodization of the history of relations between Russia and China, as well as the most important data on the establishment of the Russian-Chinese border. Volume four, "Squaring the Chinese Circle", presents articles, reviews and reviews, united by the author with the general theme of "historical enlightenment". The fifth volume of "A good Neighbor is more pleasant than any honors" includes works that made up two sections: "Russia and China: historical and cultural features of interaction" and "Historical past, present and prospects of relations between Russia and China". Volume six, "Science is Not Timid," presents works on the fate of the Russian and Chinese intelligentsia. Volume seven "Chinese Rhapsody" summarizes works on topical issues of modern Russian foreign policy.

The basic concept of studying Russian-Chinese relations developed by V. S. Myasnikov was formulated for the first time in his PhD thesis. It consists in the fact that " the national and state interests of Russia and China did not contradict each other. This was confirmed by almost 300 years of experience in the history of cooperation between the two countries. One of the most important features of the history of Russian-Chinese relations was that, despite the sometimes acute situations that arose, the two states were never at war with each other. They were distinguished by their desire to solve all problems by peaceful means, through diplomatic negotiations " (vol. 1, p. 484). Another important conclusion that determined the contribution of V. S. Myasnikov to science concerns the history of the formation of the Russian-Chinese border: "The historically formed border between Russia and China-unlike the vast majority of interstate borders in Europe, Asia, Africa and America - is the result not of wars, but of diplomatic efforts of the parties" (vol. 1, p. 484).

In the future, all Myasnikov's research developed in line with this approach. The monograph "The Qing Empire and the Russian State in the 17th Century" presented in the first volume of the collection contains important information about the initial stage of Russian-Chinese relations and the creation of prerequisites for establishing an interstate border. The paper for the first time identified the key techniques that formed the basis of diplomacy of both powers in relation to each other and other states of the Far East over the following centuries. V. S. Myasnikov's valuable contribution to Sinology was the first systematic presentation of the history of the formation of traditional Chinese diplomacy and the identification of the most important components that determined its specifics - the philosophical and political views of ancient China as its ideological basis, the traditional foreign policy doctrine as a source of strategic ideas and tactical methods, and "an exceptionally developed diplomatic ceremony aimed at all those who have come into contact with him over the centuries " (vol. 1, p. 43).

A careful analysis of the political traditions and diplomatic practice of the Qing state allowed V. S. Myasnikov to conclude that China's de facto equality in international relations was recognized only after its defeat in the struggle with the Western colonial powers of England, France, and the United States in the mid-19th century. Before

Russia has repeatedly had to face the hostility of the Qing foreign policy and overcome the tricks of their traditional diplomacy. The real discovery of V. S. Myasnikov was the concept of "stratagem diplomacy", which he defined as "diplomacy that ensures the implementation of the stratagem and draws its means and methods not from the principles, norms and customs of international law, but from the theory of military art, which is total in nature and asserts that the end justifies the means" (vol. 1, p. 48). The identification of "stratagemism" as the basis of traditional Chinese diplomacy was highly appreciated by the international scientific community: in 1985, the monograph "The Qing Empire and the Russian State in the XVII century" was published in English and French translation.

In the monograph "The Qing Empire and the Russian State", as well as in a number of other works of different times, V. S. Myasnikov gave a detailed analysis of the activities of Russian diplomats Yerofey Khabarov, Fyodor Golovin, Ivan Petlin, Savva Raguzinsky and others. - all those who have contributed to the development of Russian statehood and to the formation of equal and peaceful relations between China and Russia. "...Those who entered the diplomatic path, writes Vladimir Stepanovich about Russian envoys, "as a rule, saw the possibility of realizing themselves as individuals only under the conditions created by a strong state" (vol. 3, p. 40).

An important topic of V. S. Myasnikov's research was and still is the study of the influence of traditional Chinese diplomacy on the diplomacy of modern China. A logical continuation of the work with sources that began in the 1950s was the unique manual for Russian diplomats "A Brief Outline of the history of Chinese diplomacy: 1949-1980" (vol. 2, pp. 7-320).

In this study, V. S. Myasnikov for the first time considered the ethnopsychological features of the Chinese national diplomatic school: "Diplomacy, like any social phenomenon, is subject to the influence of objective and subjective factors in its development. Chinese diplomacy is an element of the political culture of Chinese society, largely determined by the cultural tradition and heritage of the past "(vol. 2, p. 315). Before starting to analyze the traditions of Chinese diplomacy, V. S. Myasnikov gives a comprehensive description of the entire system of international relations that developed by the end of the XX century. The significant political and economic strengthening of Asian countries, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the civilizational convergence of East and West led to a paradigm shift in world history and laid the foundation for a new model of relations between Russia and the East. In these transitional conditions, the new Russian diplomacy is faced with the task of making full use of the potential of classical Russian and Soviet cultures to build its relations with the countries and peoples of the East. For this purpose, V. S. considers. Myasnikov, it is necessary to have a deep knowledge of the peculiarities of the internal and external political culture of their eastern neighbors.

Further, he examines in detail the historical features of China's interaction with Russia, identifying two groups of them: the first group includes specific features of a geopolitical nature, and the second group includes ethnopsychological differences between the Chinese and Russian peoples. The most important factor of the first group was the presence of an extensive contact zone at the time of establishing relations between the two states (this concept was introduced into the study of the history of Russian-Chinese relations by V. S. Myasnikov), which was gradually absorbed by the empires during their strengthening. The author considers interaction with the peoples who inhabited this contact zone to be one of the significant circumstances that influenced Russian-Chinese relations. The second group of factors reflects the most important civilizational differences between Russia and China: in the systems of value orientations and, as a result, the presence of different value priorities in foreign policy; in the concepts of foreign relations (European and sinocentric); in political cultures, which determined the uniqueness of diplomatic schools.

Identifying the peculiarities of Chinese diplomacy, V. S. Myasnikov writes about the specifics of the Chinese view of the world, the attitude of the Chinese to Christianity, and the formation and development of the concept of "diplomacy" in China. V. S. Myasnikov calls the main content and meaning of not only the diplomatic, but also the political Chinese mentality, which ensures its historical continuity, stratagemism, which is rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy and military art.

At the same time, the methodology developed by V. S. Myasnikov for studying China's foreign policy and Russian-Chinese relations is not limited to the stratagem approach. In the article "Historical and cultural features of economic interaction between Russia and China "(first published in 1991), the author raises the problem of the historical typology of Russia's relations

and China, noting that the foreign policy process at all levels is greatly influenced by cultural traditions:

"The political culture of Russia was based on the norms of Christian morality and the European tradition, which assumed the equality of all sovereign states... China's political culture was based on Confucian principles of political hierarchy and sinocentric ideas about the world around it... Thus, when establishing relations between the two countries, a peculiar coordinate system naturally developed, in which the horizontal line was formed by European traditions and methods, and the vertical line was formed by Chinese ones. As a result, the interaction of the parties was formed as a vector of development, a line was formed that incorporated elements of both approaches" (vol.2, p. 342). Developing the position on the introduction of the "intercivilizational approach" to the study of international relations, V. S. Myasnikov writes about the need to supplement the "typology of interstate relations based on the socio-economic characteristics of states" with "a typology based on the initial data of ethno-cultural and civilizational features of subjects of international relations" (vol.2, p. 352).

One of the most relevant topics that V. S. Myasnikov has been working on for many years is the history of the establishment of the Russian-Chinese border. The third volume of the collection of his works includes a revised and expanded monograph " Contractual articles approved. Russia and China: 400 years of interstate relations "(first edition - " Treaty articles approved. Diplomatic history of the Russian-Chinese border. XVII-XX centuries". Moscow: IDV RAS, 1996). This work, which has gone through many editions, is the first in world historiography to present a comprehensive analysis of the complete history of Russian-Chinese relations, while V. S. Myasnikov paid primary attention to official documents of all treaties and agreements in Russian, Chinese and Manchurian that have ever been concluded between Russia and China. Many of them, including those from recently opened funds, he introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. Based on carefully researched archival material, they were shown how, overcoming many difficulties, the parties managed to form the longest border in the world by peaceful means.

This paper presents a fundamentally new approach to studying the Asian policy of Russia. V. S. Myasnikov connects the methods of implementing this policy with the deep civilizational features of Russian statehood, which made Russia both a European and an Asian power, but at the same time "a country that differed in ethno-cultural parameters from both "purely" European and "classical"ones Asian states" (vol. 3, p. 11). A special geographical position and spiritual state determined the character of Russian diplomacy: "The history of Russia's foreign policy is the history of the glorious achievements of a truly great nation, which gave more to others than it received for itself from the delicate balance on which the relationship between the internal life of the state and its external relations is based" (vol.3, p. 37).

The policy towards China, as well as the entire diplomatic tradition of Russia, has absorbed the centuries-old cultural experience of Ancient and Medieval Russia, the experience of its interaction with Byzantium, European and Asian states (vol.3, p. 37). Considering the stage of the "pre-contractual period" of contacts between Russia and China, V. S. Myasnikov connects the promotion of Russian diplomacy to the East not with external, but primarily with the internal needs of the development of the Russian state. The gradual assimilation by the Russian envoys of the features of the traditional diplomatic practice of the Qing Empire even in direct contacts set them the task of preserving state and national interests, if necessary, maintaining a peaceful balance in relations with their neighbor. The spatial and temporal scale of interaction between our two powers has led to the fact that by now Russia and China have become a factor that largely determines world development. Having considered the history of Russian-Chinese relations, V. S. Myasnikov draws important conclusions for predicting the prospects for their development in a rapidly changing world. Wise, but unfortunately not yet adopted by modern Russian diplomacy, is the author's conclusion that Russia, building a strategy for the development of its East Asian region, should take a "lesson" from its great neighbor, whose state policy is based on the following principles:

For the first time in the history of our cooperation, the combined power and pace of development surpass that of Russia.

Applying a comprehensive systematic approach to the study of Russian-Chinese relations, V. S. Myasnikov has always been very widely involved in the study of data not only historical, but also of a general humanitarian nature. An important role in his scientific work is played by the study of the spiritual culture of Russia and China in the historical development and at the present stage. The fourth and seventh volumes of his collection include articles that have become the result of a deep understanding of the most complex processes, primarily in the sphere of public consciousness and worldview. The selection of scientific articles, interviews, speeches, and open letters included in these volumes reflects not only Vladimir Stepanovich's research, but also his journalistic talent, as well as his active life position as a patriot and statesman.

The fourth volume of the collection begins with a reflection on the purpose of the historian's work. V. S. Myasnikov believes that the main concern of a scientist of this direction should remain the historical enlightenment of his people, and gives a periodization of the enlightenment in Russia, starting from the early period when " Byzantium in 988 gave Russia the main component of statehood-the Orthodox faith, which became the civilizational dominant ... state ideology and the spiritual archetype of the nation " (vol. 4, p. 6). Speaking about the state's reforms in the field of educating the people, V. S. Myasnikov invariably notes the huge role of the Academy of Sciences as the main organization in the system of scientific and educational institutions of the country.

In the article " The East and Russia "(vol. 4, pp. 304-336), the author offers his own methodology for studying the East and its influence on the political culture of the Russian state. Considering the main driving force of the development of Oriental studies to be the close relationship between "external relations and internal development of society", V. S. Myasnikov writes about the special civilizational integration model of relations that Russia was creating in relation to the East. The author reflects on the purpose and mission of Oriental studies, which he describes not only as the oldest, but also as "the most highly developed branch of humanitarian and social science knowledge" (vol.4, p. 409). Speaking about the complex, integral nature of modern Oriental studies, V. S. Myasnikov notes that philology, "the main communication channel of humanity", is the basis of it, as at the early stage of its formation (vol.4, p. 409).

In his articles of various years, V. S. Myasnikov reflects on the special position that Sinology occupies in the structure of Russian Oriental studies. He identifies several factors that have determined the impact of Sinology on the culture of Russia as a whole. First of all, he points to the similar geopolitical dominance of Russia and China, which as two large centers of agriculture were adjacent to the steppe in the Eurasian space. "We can add to this that the Confucian model of Chinese political and spiritual life in many respects was close to Orthodox views on these aspects of Russian reality" (vol. 4, p. 316). V. S. Myasnikov emphasizes that in various circles of Russian society there was a strong interest "in the history of Chinese civilization, in its art of self-preservation for several thousand years, despite repeated invasions of invaders." This was due to the desire of the ruling strata of Russian society "to get acquainted with the works of Chinese spiritual and material culture, to have them at their disposal." Finally, the establishment of the Russian Ecclesiastical Orthodox Mission was of great importance for the knowledge of China and the development of Russian Sinology (vol. 4, pp. 316-317).

A series of articles by V. S. Myasnikov is devoted to the study of the scientific heritage of the outstanding Russian scientist-Nikita Yakovlevich Bichurin (fr. Iakinf, 1777-1853), "the founder of Russian Sinology". Thanks to the efforts of V. S. Myasnikov, a number of unpublished materials of N. Ya. Bichurin, as well as documents shedding light on his activities, were introduced to science. In V. S. Myasnikov's articles " the vivid image of Bichurin as an Oriental researcher, sinologist, historian, friend of the Chinese people "(vol. 4, p. 135) appears as a phenomenon of Russian intellectual culture, " a symbol of relentless scientific research, broad democratic views, exceptional talent and purposefulness in working on classical and modern China, that true patriotism which does not exclude, but, on the contrary, implies attention to the fate of others

peoples, friendly attitude towards them" (vol. 4, p. 147). V. S. Myasnikov's works on N. Ya. Bichurin (vol. 4, pp. 106-197) laid the foundation for Bichurinology, an auxiliary discipline of Sinology that was formed in our science in the 1950s and 1980s.

Identifying the key points and main stages of the development of Russian sinology, V. S. Myasnikov invariably studies them as a basis for its prospects and main current tasks. Having written in 1974, during the period of extremely difficult relations between the Soviet Union and China, the article "The formation and development of domestic Sinology", V. S. Myasnikov concluded it by formulating the goals facing domestic Sinologists with the following words: "These goals are high and noble-all possible assistance to the normalization of relations between the USSR and the PRC, the restoration of good neighborliness and friendship between the peoples of the Soviet Union and China "(vol. 4, p. 105).

It is worth noting that it was during the period of deterioration of Soviet-Chinese relations that Vladimir Stepanovich conceived the idea of a major project to create a multi-volume documentary series " Russian-Chinese Relations. Materials and documents". Academician S. L. Tikhvinsky became the executive editor of the series, and V. S. Myasnikov became the scientific editor, author of all historical introductions, one of the compilers and authors of comments. Thanks to this large-scale publication, an objective view of the history of bilateral interstate relations has become possible.

The works included in the fifth volume of the collection of works by V. S. Myasnikov are devoted to the historical and cultural peculiarities of interaction between Russia and China in the context of the general process of formation of the world system of international relations. The articles included in this volume tell about the historical past of relations between our countries, as well as about the latest political realities in Central Asia and the Far East. In the introduction to the volume, the author and compiler continues to reflect on the goal of historical enlightenment of the Russian people by the academic community: "... we must organize historical enlightenment, "writes V. S. Myasnikov," in such a way that its result is a tangible increase in patriotic sentiments, but beliefs primarily among young students "(vol. 5, p. 5). This requires developing a systematic approach that takes into account both the traditions of Russian culture and the methods of our neighbors. Instilling patriotism, according to the author, has become an essential part of domestic politics for many powers; patriotism must be deeply understood, it must be based on thoughtful, felt real historical achievements of the people. V. S. Myasnikov considers the introduction of uniform textbooks for school and university education and overcoming the crisis of trust in scientific publications in society to be an important factor. "Another tradition serves to foster patriotism : visiting historically significant monuments and natural sites" (vol. 5, p. 6).

V. S. Myasnikov became one of the most authoritative scientists of our country, who put forward the idea of recreating the Russian Historical Society. In an open letter dated May 26, 2010 addressed to the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yu. S. Osipov, he noted: "The main function of historical science and historical education is to preserve and strengthen the historical memory of the people as the basis of their identity" (vol.5, p. 10). He also gave examples of the activities of imperial societies in Russia aimed at collecting, processing and distributing materials and documents related to Russian history. Such work, according to V. S. Myasnikov, should be continued in the current conditions. Giving his thoughts on the program of the revived RIO, he notes the special importance of publishing classical works of the XVII-XIX centuries, "which have become a bibliographic rarity, but retain their scientific and social significance" (vol. 5, p. 12).

A special theme in the scientific work of V. S. Myasnikov is reflections on the purpose of the intelligentsia in Russia, China and European countries. The sixth volume of the collection "Science is not timid" contains materials on the role and significance of outstanding thinkers, as well as scientists and cultural figures in China, Russia and Europe. The volume begins with an article about the fate of the Chinese intelligentsia, which the author calls "the Chinese mirror of Russia". "The role of the intelligentsia in the history of China," writes V. S. Myasnikov, " is no different from that in the history of any other civilized country. The intelligentsia only appears

at a certain level of development of national culture, and it is this culture that carries through the millennia the cultural code that determines the essence of civilization " (vol. 6, p. 13).

V. S. Myasnikov considers the active participation of the intelligentsia in the enlightenment of their own people to be the most important task in fulfilling this mission. The main thing, in his opinion, with which today it is necessary to start training specialists who meet the requirements of the highest achievements of human civilization, is the development of school and university programs that meet these requirements. At the same time, V. S. Myasnikov recalls that the basis of such education is patriotism and a well-thought-out understanding of the interests of one's country: "The center of patriotic education, of course, should be not just knowledge of the history of your country, but the ability to protect your history from falsifiers, slanderers and detractors. Defend as you save your home from burglars. This is the first stage of patriotism acquired in school and university" (vol. 6, p. 305).

V. S. Myasnikov draws on the historical experience of Russian intellectuals, whose service he calls to be considered as equal. He devotes large articles to assessing the personality and scientific heritage of the philosopher Gustav Gustavovich Shpet (1879-1937) ("Gustav Shpet: Works and Years", vol. 6, pp. 39-84) and the diplomat and historian Ivan Mikhailovich Maisky (1884-1975) ("The Fate of the Intellectual in Russia", vol.6, pp. 85-105). The lives of these people, almost the same age, were difficult, both achieved recognition, then were unjustly repressed - but, no matter how fate turned to them, they always remained true to their principles and their people. The biographies of these people were closely connected with the history of the country, and their stoicism was "aimed at patient, consistent, Christian transformation" of the surrounding reality and their own destiny (vol. 6, p. 40).

In his works, V. S. Myasnikov repeatedly notes that the turn of the XIX-XX centuries was a period of special flourishing of Russian culture: sciences, including Oriental studies, were raised to an unusual height until then. The golden Age of Russian philosophy coincided with the Silver Age of Russian Poetry (vol. 6, p. 39). V. S. Myasnikov gives the highest assessment to the scientific heritage of G. G. Shpet: "Having reviewed all the horizons of the development of social thought in Russia and Europe, Gustav Shpet, with his works on phenomenology, aesthetics, philosophy of language and psychology, introduced Russian philosophy into the mainstream of not only European, but also world science" (vol. 6, p. 39). In his works, V. S. Myasnikov developed some areas of scientific research of G. G. Shpet. First of all, it concerned the development of new methodological approaches to the study of world history, as well as the problem of ethnopsychology, which V. S. Myasnikov made an integral part of Oriental studies. It is V. S. Myasnikov again

he discovered the true significance of G. G. Shpet for science: in 2002, under his editorship, the work of this thinker "History as a problem of Logic. Critical and methodological research. Materials" (in 2 parts, Moscow, 2002), representing a reproduction of the first part of the dissertation of the Russian philosopher from the 1916 edition, as well as the second part reproduced for the first time in the manuscript with lengthy comments. V. S. Myasnikov repeatedly referred to the scientific and epistolary heritage of I. M. Maisky. In 2005, on his initiative and with his active participation, the fundamental collection of documents "Ivan Mikhailovich Maisky. Selected Correspondence with Russian Correspondents "(Scientific Heritage series, vol. 31).

The collection of V. S. Myasnikov's works includes many scientific biographies of scientists and public figures, with some of whom he had a chance to communicate and work personally. The articles of V. S. Myasnikov, a biographer, present a thorough analysis of the prerequisites that influenced the formation of spiritual strength and moral principles of people who remained faithful to their duty in all conditions. The collection includes research essays about the people who made the Russian Academy of Sciences proud and increased its strength and significance. V. S. Myasnikov especially highlights the activities of the long-term President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, and its permanent secretary, S. F. Oldenburg. V. S. Myasnikov notes that during its heyday, the Academy, being one of the institutional foundations of the Russian state, paid attention to the study of the East

always increased attention. "Under the care" of the Academy, almost all major works of Oriental studies, including those on Sinology, were created and published in Russia.

V. S. Myasnikov devotes his heartfelt lines to his teachers and closest colleagues Pyotr Emelyanovich Skachkov (vol. 1, pp. 309-401), Mark Isaakovich Kazanin (vol. 1, pp. 402-442), Sergey Leonidovich Tikhvinsky (vol. 1, pp. 443-469; vol. 4, pp. 268-274), Alexey Leontievich Narochnitsky (vol. 6, pp. 164-172), Svetlana Danilovna Markova (vol. 4, pp. 237-260). It is significant that V. S. Myasnikov included sketches about people who influenced his development as a scientist in the first volume of the collection of his works, creating vivid images of the outgoing era of fundamental Soviet Sinology. Vladimir Stepanovich's colleagues are well aware of how much work he put into preparing for publication the work of his teacher Pyotr Skachkov (1892-1964) - a unique reference book "Essays on the History of Russian Sinology" (Moscow: Nauka, 1977; translated into Chinese-2011).

V. S. Myasnikov pays great attention to the development of modern methodology of Sinology and Oriental studies. Of great methodological importance is his conclusion that there are four types of Sinology in the world. Highlighting (1) the national Chinese school of sinology, (2) Sinology of Confucian and Buddhist countries, and (3) Western Sinology, V. S. Myasnikov characterizes Russian Sinology as "good neighborly", belonging to its own special type (vol.1, p. 487). Many of Myasnikov's thoughts also relate to the fate of science in Russia as a whole. He writes about the problems of society's attitude to science and to the organization of scientific research, about the role of the Academy of Sciences and state funds.

The seventh volume of "Chinese Rhapsody" includes works on topical issues of Russia's foreign policy in the East, as well as publications from different years in English. Speaking about the prospects of our country's foreign policy, V. S. Myasnikov writes about the factors that influenced its vectors in the past. The author believes that the specifics of Russia's interaction with Eastern countries are determined by the fact that "Russia is an' intercivilizational civilization 'that has absorbed many features of various civilizational complexes of the East and West" (vol.7, p. 24). Not only geopolitics, economy, but also culture has been and remains the driving force of Russia's policy in Asia. V. S. Myasnikov writes about the new realities of international relations and suggests developing strategic partnership with China, India and the CIS countries, and making progress in relations with Japan and the states of the Korean Peninsula.

In addition to full-text articles, the seven-volume collection of V. S. Myasnikov includes his welcome speeches at conferences and reviews of the work of colleagues. This material will provide a basis for further assessment of the current stage in the history of Russian Sinology. In his reviews, V. S. Myasnikov not only gives a deep assessment of the work done, but also usually offers his vision of the problem against a broad background, and also writes about possible prospects for further research, thus acting as an organizer of science.

It is impossible not to mention the magnificent Russian language and the amazing culture of presentation of the researcher-encyclopedist. In the scientific articles of V. S. Myasnikov, quotations from V. M. Alekseev and V. P. Vasiliev are juxtaposed with references to A. S. Pushkin and N. V. Gogol, F. M. Dostoevsky and P. Ya. Chaadaev, etc. Kostomarov and V. S. Solovyov. He is well aware of the achievements of Chinese historical science, as well as the latest ideas of Western philosophers and historians.

While giving a description to the Academy of S. F. Oldenburg, Academician P. K. Kokovtsov noted:: "The scientific works of S. F. bear witness to the great readability and remarkable versatility of a gifted scientist" (cit. by: A. A. Vigasin. Preface / / S. F. Oldenburg. Etudes about people of science. Comp. by A. A. Vigasin, Moscow: RSUH, 2012, p. 20). The same words can rightly be attributed to the scientific work of V. S. Myasnikov.

The publication of the seven-volume works of Vladimir Stepanovich Myasnikov is a significant event in Sinology and Oriental studies. Each of its readers-from a schoolboy to an academic-will make a lot of interesting discoveries for themselves. The collection with the symbolic name "Castalsky Key of the Sinologist" is a true source of inspiration for all those who study China and want to serve their Fatherland of Russia.

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