А.В. Ратке 4 курс, Высшая школа политического управления и инновационного менеджмента науч. рук. доц. Л.И. Миляева

Empress Xiaoshengxian Despite living in a patriarchal society which emphasized female submissiveness, some Chinese women have managed to make history as legendary women poets, beauties, rulers, dancers, concubines, diplomats, musicians, and warriors. One of them was Empress Xiaoshengxian (1693 – 1777). She was a consort of the of the . As Empress Xiaoshengxian was the birth mother of the Yongzheng Emperor’s fourth son and successor the , she was posthumously honoured as an Empress. Empress Xiaoshengxian was born in the Manchu Niohuru clan, which was under the Bordered Yellow Banner. Her personal name is unknown. Empress lived her long life in extraordinary luxury. Among the Empress Dowager of Qing dynasty, she ranked the first position. Also, throughout the history of the Empress Dowager of so huge influence and concentration of force for women was rare. In 1705, Lady Niohuru became a concubine of Yinzhen (Prince Yong), the fourth son of the , and was given the title “gege”. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng got serious disease. Lady Nyuhuru carefully waited on him, preparing herbs and medicines. After his recovery, she began to be in favor. In 1711, she bore Prince Yong his fourth son, Hongli. When Qianlong was 10 years old, Yongzheng took him as a support for the service of the Emperor Kangxi. During one of the feasts, Kangxi discovered grandson’s intelligence and talent, and began to invite him to his palace to read the book, he raised and trained him, called the Concubine Nyuhulu a happy person, because her son was so clever. In view of this, the Concubine Nyuhulu began to enjoy an even greater love of Yongzheng. In 1722, the Kangxi Emperor died and was succeeded by Prince Yong, who was enthroned as the Yongzheng Emperor. A year later, Lady Niohuru was granted the rank of Consort under the title “Consort Xi” (熹妃). In 1730, she was promoted to Noble Consort Xi” (熹貴妃). When the Yongzheng Emperor’s empress consort, Lady Ulanara, died in 1731, Lady Niohuru was placed in charge of the emperor’s harem, making her an acting Empress. The Yongzheng Emperor died in 1735 and was succeeded by Hongli, who was enthroned as the Qianlong Emperor. As the birth mother of the reigning emperor, Lady Niohuru was honoured as Empress Dowager under 54 the title “Empress Dowager Chongqing” (崇慶皇太后). The Qianlong Emperor held his mother in high regard and often consulted her for advice. Some believe that she may have been behind the emperor’s ill-fated selection of Lady Ulanara to be his second empress consort. The Qianlong Emperor often visited his mother. Empress Dowager Chongqing also always accompanied her son on his excursions to Shenyang and the Yangtze River Delta. In her old age, when Empress Dowager Chongqing was no longer fit to travel, the Qianlong Emperor stopped all his trips and only resumed after her death. Empress Dowager Chongqing’s 60th birthday in 1753 was lavishly celebrated. The Qianlong Emperor ordered the roads decorated from to the ,Chinese poems were read in her honour and sacrifices were made to the gods by the emperor and the entire imperial court. In her honour, the emperor also ordered the dredging of a lake at the Garden of Clear Ripples, which he named Kunming Lake, as well as renovated buildings on the lake shore. Empress Dowager Chongqing died in 1777 at the age of 84. She was interred in a separate tomb in the Western Qing tombs in .

М.С. Сидорова 4 курс, Высшая школа политического управления и инновационного менеджмента науч. рук. доц. Л.И. Миляева

The Russian Influence in Harbin Harbin today is still very much influenced by its Russian past. A city once under Russian rule, it is now a center of trade with that country. The influence of Russia came with the construction of the China Far East Railway, an extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and Harbin, known formerly as a fishing village, began to prosper as the largest commercial center of North Eastern Asia. In 1896, an agreement was signed in Beijing regarding the Russian control of the China Eastern Railway. The agreement stated that only Soviet and Chinese citizens could be employed for railway construction. In fact, Tsarist Russia encouraged Russian settlement in their important Trans-Siberian-Railway outpost by waiving the then 25-year long military service obligation for patriotic reasons. Thus thousands and thousands of Russian engineers, railway builders, employees, Tsarist army soldiers and their families came as the first generation

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