Russian and Soviet as depicted in shanghai Shidaimanhua illustrated magazine (1934-1937)

The article deals with the image of the USSR and the Russians in one of the most famous illustrated magazines of the Republic of China, Shidai Manhua. Clichés and stereotypes existing in Chinese society towards the neighbouring country and its people during the complicated period in bilateral relations before World War II were a response to the events in the USSR itself, in the world and in China. Shidai Manhua’s publications show which actions undertaken by the Soviet government were seen as exemplary and which ones were perceived as menacing. It is essential that in the 1920s and the 1930s, some Chinese cities became the refuges for emigrants fleeing the 1917 revolutions, with these emigrants also appearing in Shidai Manhua. This creates a juxtaposition between the image of Soviet Russia and those Russians who had to leave it. The analysis of the magazine materials shows that the USSR often seemed to be a dangerous neighbour rather than a reliable ally, while the life of Soviet citizens appeared murky and was not associated with the lifestyle of Russian refugees in Chinese cities.