The article describes the teaching and academic activity of Nikolai Pavlovich Avtonomov (1885–1976), who is considered as an innovator of teaching Russian to foreigners. A teacher in Harbin, he developed his own system of teaching Russian to the Chinese and Japanese students based on direct communication in specific situations, considering national values. He also distinguished himself as a historian of education, having analyzed school functioning in the Russian Far East and Manchuria. Having left China for the USA, Avtonomov continued teaching Russian as a foreign language and published nearly 300 works about teaching. The article is based on the documents revealed in the Museum of Russian Culture in San Francisco and the University of Hawaii library (Honolulu).
N. P. Avtonomov (1885–1976), the Russians in China, teaching Russian as a foreign language, education in the Far East
1. Avtonomov N. P. The situation with school business in the CER zone. Harbin, 1920. 13 p. (In Russ.).
2. Avtonomov N. P. Law Faculty in Harbin during the 18-year period // Harbin Law Faculty Newsletter. Harbin, 1938. Vol. XII. P. 1–84. (In Russ.).
3. Avtonomov N. P. Pedagogical staff (Chinese teachers)) // Harbin Kommecial Schools. 1961. No. 8. 43 p. (In Russ.).
4. Avtonomov N. P. Harbin teachers’ institute (1925–1937): historical essay // Collection of State Pedagogical Institute (1925–1937). Harbin, 1937. P. 143–160. (In Russ.).
5. Avtonomov N. P. Urgent issues of the Russian educational history according to the reginal school data. Harbin: State Pedagogical Institute, 1937. 36 p. (In Russ.)
6. Baturlinskij M. V. Petr Pavlovich Avtonomov’s recollections // Historical collection of Tsaritsyn Genealogical Society. Volgograd: TGO publishing house, 2014. No. 7. P. 26–134. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/SXVVOJ
7. Vasilenko N. A. Russian teachers in Manchzuria // Russia and APR. 2002. No. 1. P. 104–114. (In Russ.) EDN: https://elibrary.ru/ZCSTJZ
8. Grebenshhikov V. Nikolaj Pavlovich Avtonomov (1885–1976): Obituary // Russian Language Journal = Russkij yazy`k. 1977. Vol. 31, No. 108. P. 211–213. (In Russ.).
9. Zhernakov V. N. Nikolaj Pavlovich Avtonomov. Mel`burn: author’s publ., 1979. 35 p. (In Russ.).
10. Zhernakov V. N. In Memory of N. P. Avtonomov: Obituary // Russian Life. 1976. 2 July. (In Russ.)
11. Zhernakov V. N. Commemorating N. P. Avtonomov’s 90th anniversary // Russian Life. 1975. 27 December. (In Russ.).
12. Kosinova O. A. Organization of the Russian diaspora public and pedagogical associations activity in China in the 1920s–1940s // Vyatka state university Journal. 2008. No. 1. P. 120–123. (In Russ.) EDN: https://elibrary.ru/KATDHZ
13. Kosinova O. A. National idea in the education and upbringing of Russian expatriates in China in the first half of the 20th century) // Knowledge. Understanding. Ability. 2008. No. 1. P. 98–105. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/PDCZBD
14. Kosinova O. A. Teacher of Russian diaspora in China Nikolay Pavlovich Avtonomov) // People and destinies of the Russian diaspora abroad. Vol 3. Moscow: Institute of Global History Publishing House, 2016. P. 91–100. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/URTRVK
15. Polanski P. Russian Publications in the Asia-Pacific Region: Hawaii university Hamilton library catalogue. Moscow: Pashkov dom, 2015. Vol. 1. 213 p.; Vol. 2. 156 p. (In Russ.).
16. Bakich O. Harbin Russian imprints: bibliography as history, 1898–1961: Materials for a definitive bibliography. New York; Paris: Norman Ross Publishing Inc. 2002. 584 p.
