Chinese Russians People

Russians in China form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They are the descendants of Russians who settled in China, and hold Chinese rather than Russian citizenship.

History

The first Russians recorded to have settled in China were the who joined the Manchu imperial guard in 1685. Significant immigration began in 1897 with the construction of the China Far East Railway and increased after Russia's October Revolution. In the years after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, many Russians either or were repatriated to the Soviet Union; only a minority remained behind in China.

There is a district of Beijing known as Russiatown. It is settled primarily by Russian tradesmen from Siberia. The focal point of the district is a large market. Business s are mostly in and written in the Cyrillic alphabet, a surprise to many tourists.

Prominent Russians in China

* Chiang Fang-liang, the First Lady of the Republic of China in 1978-88
* Nikolai Lunev, deputy to the tenth Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

See also

* Harbin Russians
* Shanghai Russians
* China Far East Railway
* Chinese Eastern Railway Zone