THE INFLUENCE OF THE RUSSIAN ART EDUCATION SYSTEM ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ART EDUCATION IN CHINA

Wang Yibin

This article examines the influence of the Russian (primarily Soviet) system of art education on the formation and development of art education in China. It analyzes key aspects of the transfer of academic art training methodologies and principles from Russia to China throughout the 20th century, especially during the mid-century period when close cultural ties were established between the two countries. The Russian academic tradition—with its emphasis on realistic painting, drawing from life, and a rigorous curriculum—was adopted by Chinese art institutions and played a crucial role in training the first generation of realist painters in the New China. The article traces the evolution of Chinese art education: from early attempts to adopt European (including Russian) approaches in the early 20th century, through the period of intense Soviet influence in the 1950s (including the creation of new programs, and the training of teachers and students based on Soviet models), to the long-term preservation of realist school methodologies in China during the second half of the 20th century. The article concludes that the Russian art education system made a significant contribution to the establishment of a scientifically grounded, multi-level training system for artists in China, ensuring continuity in academic drawing and painting and laying the foundation for the development of Chinese art within a realist framework. The legacy of this influence remains relevant to this day, despite subsequent modernization and diversification of art education in the PRC.

Keywords:art education, Russia, China, socialist realism, academic painting, art universities, cultural exchange, art pedagogy