Ukranian Orientalist Society in Harbin (1936–1938): Chinese Studies

The present article outlines the activities of the Ukrainian Orientalists Society in the Far East. This society was founded in early 1936 and stopped its activities in early 1938, as there was no information about the organization after this year. The most active members of UOS were: Fedir Danilenko (president), Boris Vobliy (secretary), Dmitry Barchenko, Vasyl Odynets, Valentina Korda-Korotenko. For the first time the article introduced a collection called “Far East” published in 1936 and it was declared as non-periodic. In particular, there were published the examples of traditional Chinese poetry translated by D. Barchenko. F. Danilenko completed the translation of the story written by Pu Songling from the cycle “Strange stories from a Chinese studio”. The plot of the play “The Goddess of the Moon” included in this collection, depicts the traditional Taoist universe. V. Odinets in “Kytay or China” presented the history and etymology of the names of the Chinese Civilization. The “Report on the work of the Ukrainian National Colony in Manchukuo” published in 1937 by “Record Press” was the last source where the UOS was mentioned. At the end of the book there is a list of the reports completed by members of the Ukrainian Orientalists Society from December 1936 to March 1937: T. Gordeyev “Agricultural conditions in Manchuria”, V. Odinets “Van-Dao”, V. Korotenko “Love of the Chinese”, V. Odinets “Cult of the Ancestors of the Chinese, F. Danilenko “The Goddess of Mercy” and “Confucius and Its Science”, V. Odinets “Pioneers of Ukrainian Oriental Studies” and “Knowing the East”. In Ukrainian science on Chinese literature, these translations do not have any analogues, so they are of special interest. In general, this publication will trace the history of the formation of Ukrainian orientalism in the territory of China.