The Specific Features of Interactions between Russian Consulates in Mongolia and Local Authorities in the Context of Relations between the Russian and Qing Empires (from the Second Half of the 19th to the Early 20th Century)

Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2026. Vol. 96. No. 2.

Sizova A.

The article examines Russian imperial consular interaction with Mongolian and Manchu authorities in Mongolia from 1861 to 1911. It argues that Russian consulates operated as institutions of “border diplomacy” in the Russian-Qing frontier, combining protocol communication, legal protection, trade regulation, and political mediation. The study traces the evolution of these relations from the struggle for recognition of consular status to institutional bargaining over the expansion of the consular network. It shows that consulates defended Russian interests, supported relations with the Qing Empire, contributed to the preservation of Mongolian identity, and acted as agents of frontier governability.

Keywords: Китай, history of China, российско-монгольские отношения, Qing Empire, консульская служба, Внешняя политика России в Восточной Азии, consular service, Russia's foreign policy and diplomacy in East Asia, Иностранцы в Китае, китайцы за рубежом в XIX-XXI вв., российско-китайско-монгольские отношения, российская дипломатия, Russian-Mongolian-Chinese relations, Foreigners in China, Chinese communities in the foreign countries, Mongolia in 19th-the early 20th century, Монголия XIX-начала ХХ вв., Цинская империя, история российско-китайский отношений, history of Russian-Chinese relations, Russian-Mongolian relations