Chapter Vladivostok as a Meeting Point between West and East at the Beginning of the 20th Century (Around Years of Siberian Investigation)

Abstract

Vladivostok is likened to the Bosphorus. The remoteness of the Far East made it difficult for the European part of the Russian Empire to recognise Vladivostok geographically. Therefore, through analogy to the Mediterranean, it was consciously integrated into the state. On the other hand, by using kanji combinations, which evoke images of traditional Japanese poetry, the Japanese created a sense of familiarity with Vladivostok. In most cases, regarding the social situation during the Revolutionary and Intervention War periods, researchers’ interest was restricted to the scheme of the conflict between the Red Army and the White Army and the victory or defeat of the October Revolution. However, more than 30 years after the dissolution of the USSR, the events of this period are now being examined by scholars mainly from the perspective of the residents and outsiders in various regions who, without knowing the consequences of the revolution, were both anticipating and anxious about significant social changes. The multicultural nature of the Far East is being discussed on the occasion of the centenary of the Siberian exodus. This article examines the cultural situation in and around Vladivostok, focusing on developments such as the education system and modernist currents in the arts. Vladivostok served as both an entrance to Siberia for the Japanese or other foreign troops and an exit for emigres.