Traditions of the Soviet Academy of Art History in the theses of the Chinese students of I. E. Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at the turn of the 1950s – 1960s (based on the archival materials)

This article is dedicated to the relevant problem of art history, and determines the degree of impact of the traditions of the Soviet Academy of Art History upon the art education of the People's Republic of China. The fundamental role in this process is assigned to the Chinese students who studied in I. E. Repin Leningrad State Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the USSR Academy of Arts during the 1950s – 1960s, as well as their pedagogues and academic advisors. The article analyzes the stenographic materials of state attestation of the four Chinese students of the faculty of Theory and History of Art, who defended their theses in 1959 and 1960. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that the the materials of the Scientific Archive of the Russian Academy of Arts that were not previously used in scientific discourse, namely work with the stenographic materials of state attestation of the selected students, reveal certain peculiarities of art history and art education of the People's Republic of China, description of the tradition of the Soviet Academy of Art History and its impact upon the Chinese education at the turn of the 1950s – 1960s. The Chinese graduates of I. E. Repin Leningrad State Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture have later continued the traditions of the Soviet Academy of Art History, and laid the foundation for education of the future generations of specialists in the field of art. The conducted research determines several relevant trends of the Soviet School that influenced the development of Chinese art history.