Abstract
<jats:p>The purpose of the study is to analyze pre-revolutionary Russian historiography and identify little-explored aspects of the Ainu situation in the context of Russian-Japanese relations in 1855-1875. The article examines the key diplomatic milestones of Russian-Japanese relations in 1855-1875 (the Treaty of Shimoda in 1855 and the Treaty of St. Petersburg in 1875) and their territorial consequences for the Ainu, as well as analyzes the image of the Ainu in pre-revolutionary Russian ethnography and historical works, including the contributions of researchers such as M. M. Dobrotvorsky, A. V. Grigoriev, L. Ya. Sternberg and B. O. Pilsudsky. The author identifies the main research directions, as well as gaps and prospects for further research in this area. The scientific novelty of the work lies in filling a gap in the study of how the Ainu were represented in Russian historical thought before 1917 during the formation of diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan, as well as in a critical understanding of the prevailing ethnographic and historical approaches to the Ainu as objects rather than subjects of international relations. The study revealed that pre-revolutionary historiography, despite the fixation of territorial changes and forced resettlement of the Ainu, mainly depicted them as passive objects of diplomatic agreements. It is shown that the emphasis was on the geopolitical interests of the empires, rather than on the political status or agency of the Ainu, which led to their marginalization in the historical narrative. It is emphasized that the scholarly works of such scientists as M. M. Dobrotvorsky, L. Ya. Sternberg, B. O. Pilsudsky, however, are valuable sources for understanding imperial politics and ethnographic concepts of the time.</jats:p>