How did the Chinese Russianists interpretate the leading theme in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”

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The reception of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” in China can be traced back to a hundred years ago. The most significant issue in this process was the discussion about the leading theme in this epic, initiated by the Chinese Russianists. This article mainly focuses on an important controversy about the patriotic idea in the “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” that arose in China in the 1980s. Firstly, the author overviews the main works and their basic views in this discussion, including the “initiator” of this debate, Liu Wenxiao, who denied the presence of patriotic ideas in this epic, and his opponents Wei Huangnu, Bao Liangjun and Lu Jiayu, who firmly support the patriotic character of it. In addition, the Chinese researchers’ cogitation on the main idea of this epic and the debates themselves in the 21st century are also presented as comparative material. Subsequently, this article attempts to examine the aesthetic subjectivity reflected in this process from the perspective of receptive theory. The historical conditions that influenced the specific interest of Chinese readers in the “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” are considered, and thus the personal experience that contributed to the formation of Liu Wenxiao’s views is recognized.