Symposium on Chen Zhihua’s Academic Thought and His 90th Birthday Held at the World Socialism Research Center

On the afternoon of June 30, 2024, a symposium on Chen Zhihua’s academic thought and his 90th birthday was held at the World Socialism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Experts and scholars from the World Socialism Research Center, the Academy of Marxism, and the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as well as from Beijing Normal University and the Chinese Society for the Study of the History of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, attended the symposium and offered summaries and discussions on Comrade Chen Zhihua’s historical research philosophy, scholarly style, and personal character. The symposium was successively chaired by Luo Wendong, Party Secretary of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Wu Enyuan, former Director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Guo Chunsheng, Distinguished Professor of the Institute of Contemporary Socialism at Shandong University.

2024年6月30日下午，陈之骅学术思想暨九秩华诞座谈会在中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心召开。来自中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心、马克思主义研究院、世界历史研究所，以及北京师范大学、中国苏联东欧史研究会等单位的专家学者参加了座谈会，并就陈之骅同志的历史学研究理念、治学风格和为人品格等作了总结和探讨。座谈会先后由中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院党委书记罗文东、中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所原所长吴恩远和山东大学当代社会主义研究所特聘教授郭春生主持。

Li Shenming, former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of the World Socialism Research Center, offered congratulations to Teacher Chen Zhihua on his 90th birthday and recalled the details of working together with Teacher Chen Zhihua. He said with deep emotion: “I came to work at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in September 1998. I remember that within less than a month after reporting for duty, I became acquainted with Comrade Zhihua. Shortly thereafter, Comrade Li Tieying, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and concurrently President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggested that I immediately organize a team to study the major topic of the Soviet Communist Party’s loss of power and the Soviet Union’s dissolution. Comrades Chen Zhihua, Wu Enyuan, Zhang Shuhua, Ma Weixian, Liu Shulin, Wang Tingyou, and others were the core members of our research group. Studying this major topic of the Soviet Communist Party’s loss of power and the Soviet Union’s dissolution has been the lifelong aspiration of us all. As I congratulate Comrade Zhihua on his 90th birthday, counting on my fingers, I have been working closely with Comrade Zhihua for 27 years. Twenty-eight years after the founding of the Communist Party of China, and 14 years after the Zunyi Conference [1]1 The Zunyi Conference was a pivotal meeting of the Communist Party of China held in January 1935 during the Long March, at which Mao Zedong established his leadership role in the Party and the Red Army. established Chairman Mao’s leadership position in the Red Army and the CPC Central Committee, the socialist People’s Republic of China was miraculously born. Now, calculating it, I have actually been working together with Comrade Zhihua and other comrades for 27 years. I am both very happy and even more filled with sighs, lamenting the swift passage and haste of time. Looking back on the past, I deeply feel that Comrade Zhihua is not only my colleague but even more so my elder brother, teacher, and role model.”

中国社会社会科学院原副院长、世界社会主义研究中心主任李慎明在致辞中祝贺陈之骅老师九秩寿辰并回顾了与陈之骅老师共事的点点滴滴。他饱含深情地说：“我是1998年9月到中国社会科学院工作的。我记得，我到院报到后不到一个月的时间里，便与之骅同志结识。此后不久，时任中共中央政治局委员兼中国社会科学院院长的李铁映同志建议我即组织团队，研究苏联亡党亡国这一重大课题。陈之骅、吴恩远、张树华、马维先、刘书林、汪亭友等同志是我们课题组的核心成员。研究苏联亡党亡国这一重大课题是我们这些人的毕生心愿。在祝贺之骅同志90寿辰之时，掐指一算，我与之骅同志密切共事已有27个年头。中国共产党成立28年后，遵义会议确立毛主席在红军和中共中央的领导地位14年后，社会主义的中华人民共和国奇迹般地诞生。现在一算，我与之骅等同志竟然已经共同工作27年，既十分高兴，更不胜唏嘘，感叹时光的易逝和倥偬。回顾往事，深深感到，之骅同志既是我的同事，更是我的兄长、老师和学习的榜样。”

Li Shenming also highly praised Teacher Chen Zhihua’s rigorous and conscientious work attitude and his significant contributions to the World Socialism Research Center. He pointed out that over so many years, as a standing council member of the World Socialism Research Center, an editorial board member of the journal *World Socialism Studies*, the executive editor-in-chief of the *Be Vigilant in Times of Peace · World Socialism Series Booklets*, and an important contributor to the television political commentary film *Be Vigilant in Times of Peace*, Comrade Zhihua has participated in virtually every aspect of the World Socialism Research Center’s work.

李慎明还高度评价了陈之骅老师严谨认真的工作态度和对世界社会主义研究中心作出的重大贡献。他指出，这么多年以来，作为世界社会主义研究中心常务理事、《世界社会主义研究》期刊的编委、《居安思危·世界社会主义小丛书》的执行主编和《居安思危》电视政论片的重要撰稿人，之骅同志几乎参与了世界社会主义研究中心方方面面的工作。

Liu Zuokui, Director of the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that holding this commemorative symposium was very necessary. It is both a summary of Mr. Chen’s brilliant academic career in the past and an intellectual exchange that inspires future generations to strive and achieve. He believes that Mr. Chen is among the first batch of honorary members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, formerly served as Deputy Director of the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and held positions such as Chairman of the First, Second, and Third Councils of the Chinese Society for the Study of the History of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, making outstanding contributions to the development of social sciences in China. Mr. Chen is one of the important founders and pioneers of the study of Soviet and Eastern European history at the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, making remarkable contributions to the disciplinary construction and academic discourse of Soviet history in China, leaving a precious legacy for the world. His rigorous scholarly spirit inspires later scholars to bravely scale the heights of academia. Mr. Chen has continuously contributed to the development of the Chinese Academy of History. He has not only completed many far-reaching research results, making outstanding contributions to the field of world socialism research, but also donated the manuscript of the book *Biography of Kropotkin*, which he had treasured for nearly 40 years, to the Library and Archives of the Chinese Academy of History, demonstrating his sincere devotion to caring for the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of History, and the boundless concern of an elderly scholar for the work of the Chinese Academy of History.

中国社会科学院世界历史研究所所长刘作奎表示，举办这次具有纪念意义的座谈会非常必要，它既是对陈先生过去辉煌学术生涯的总结，又是启迪后人奋发有为的思想交流。他认为，陈先生是中国社会科学院首批荣誉委员，曾任中国社会科学院世界历史研究所副所长，中国苏联东欧史研究会第一、二、三届理事会理事长等职务，为中国社会科学的发展作出杰出贡献；陈先生是中国社会科学院世界历史研究所苏东史研究的重要奠基人和开拓者之一，为中国的苏联史学科建设和学术话语建设作出卓越贡献，为世界留下宝贵的财富，他严谨治学的精神激励后学者勇攀学术高峰；陈先生一直在为中国历史研究院的发展贡献力量，他不仅完成了许多影响深远的研究成果，为世界社会主义研究领域作出突出贡献，而且向中国历史研究院图书档案馆捐赠了珍藏近40年的《克鲁泡特金传》一书的手稿，展现了他关心中国社会科学院、关心中国历史研究院的拳拳赤子之心和老学者对中国历史研究院工作的无限关怀。

Luo Wendong, Party Secretary of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that on the eve of the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the great Communist Party of China, the convening of the symposium on Mr. Chen Zhihua’s academic thought and his 90th birthday holds important theoretical, practical, and historical significance. He stated that the Chinese Communist Party has been in power longer than the Soviet Communist Party. The Soviet Communist Party’s loss of power and the Soviet Union’s dissolution dealt a major setback to the world socialist movement. The Chinese Communist Party has not only withstood every major historical test but has also created one great miracle after another. Today, three generations of scholars in the fields of Soviet history and the study of the international communist movement gather to discuss Mr. Chen’s 90th birthday, signifying that China’s socialist cause and the international communist cause will be passed down from generation to generation and last forever. He highly praised Teacher Chen Zhihua’s book *Ninety Years of Life: My Memoirs*, believing that the book is rich in content, well-illustrated, and full of historical and political wisdom. He summarized: In his academic research, Teacher Chen creatively applied Marxist theory, especially historical materialism. He is a great scholar in the study and interpretation of modern Russian history, especially Soviet history, and the history of world socialist development. Particularly in the study of Soviet issues, he played a role like turning the tide and serving as a mainstay.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院党委书记罗文东指出，在伟大的中国共产党成立103周年前夕，陈之骅先生学术思想暨九秩华诞座谈会的召开具有重要的理论意义、现实意义和历史意义。他表示，中国共产党的执政时间超过苏联共产党，苏共亡党亡国，使世界社会主义运动遭受重大挫折，中国共产党不仅经受住一次次重大的历史考验，而且创造出一个又一个伟大奇迹。今天苏联史、国际共产主义运动研究三代学人共话陈先生90华诞，预示着中国社会主义事业、国际共产主义事业薪火相传、万古长青。他高度评价陈之骅老师所著的《九十人生——我的回忆录》，认为该书内涵丰富、图文并茂，充满历史智慧和政治智慧。他总结道：陈老师在学术研究中创造性地运用了马克思主义理论尤其是唯物史观，是研究和阐释俄国近现代史特别是苏联历史、世界社会主义发展史方面的学术大家，尤其是在苏联问题的研究方面，起到了力挽狂澜、中流砥柱的作用。

Wu Enyuan, former Director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, comprehensively summarized Teacher Chen Zhihua’s four outstanding academic contributions: Teacher Chen is the founder of the disciplinary construction of Soviet history in China, promoting the establishment and development of the Chinese Society for the Study of the History of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; he is the promoter of major progress in Soviet historiography in China, with writings covering all stages of Soviet historical development; he is the founder of the development of Soviet history education, initiating the enrollment of doctoral students in the direction of Soviet history in China; and he made important contributions to major issues in the field of Soviet history research, such as the October Revolution issue, the critique of Gorbachev’s historical nihilism, and the study of the Soviet Union’s dissolution.

中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所原所长吴恩远全面总结了陈之骅老师四个突出学术贡献：陈老师是我国苏联史学科建设的奠基人，推动了中国苏联东欧史学会的建立和发展；是我国苏联史学研究取得重大进展的推动者，著述涵盖了苏联历史发展的全部阶段；是苏联史教育发展的奠基人，开启了中国苏联史方向博士研究生的招录工作；对苏联史研究领域的重大问题作出重要贡献，如十月革命问题、对戈尔巴乔夫历史虚无主义的批判、苏联解体问题的研究等。

Yu Haiqing, Deputy Director of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Executive Deputy Director of the World Socialism Research Center, highly praised Teacher Chen Zhihua’s scholarly style and personal character, calling Teacher Chen a refined and wise scholar, an approachable elder, and a low-key and modest colleague. She stated that Teacher Chen’s charismatic quality of not being arrogant towards superiors and not being condescending towards inferiors is worthy of lifelong learning by everyone.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院副院长、世界社会主义研究中心执行副主任于海青高度评价了陈之骅老师的治学风格和为人品格，称陈老师为儒雅睿智的学者、具有亲和力的长辈和低调谦逊的同仁，表示陈老师为尊者不骄，待愚者不妗的品格魅力值得大家终生学习。

Chen Zhihua, among the first batch of honorary members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and executive editor-in-chief of the *Be Vigilant in Times of Peace · World Socialism Series Booklets*, thanked the attending guests and signed and presented copies of his book *Ninety Years of Life: My Memoirs*. He said: “I am an ordinary researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. I have merely lived a bit longer; I cannot claim to have any outstanding academic contributions. If I have indeed made some achievements in my work, it is what a Communist Party member should do, and first of all, the credit should go to the Party’s leadership and the collaborative efforts of my colleagues.” Chen Zhihua introduced some of the book’s features and characteristics: “The time span of the entire book is 90 years. But I do not write about everything that happened during these 90 years; I only write about things related to the times. As long as something can reflect the features and changes of the era, whether it is a major or minor event, I write about it; otherwise, I do not. Major events written about include, for example, Khrushchev’s visit to China in 1959; minor events include huddling around a stove eating cornbread in the office of the Sijiqing People’s Commune in Beijing. There are ten characters on the right side of the book’s cover title — ‘Writing life experiences, recording the vicissitudes of the times’ — which serve as a key to understanding this book. I firmly grasp the proposition that ‘people are always people in history, and life’s experiences are engraved with the rings of history.’ I hope everyone will offer their opinions after reading it.”

中国社会科学院首批荣誉委员、《居安思危·世界社会主义小丛书》执行主编陈之骅向与会嘉宾致谢并签名赠送《九十人生——我的回忆录》一书。他表示：“我是一个普通的中国社会科学院研究人员，无非是活得长了一些，谈不上有什么突出的学术贡献。如果我在工作中真的做出了一点成绩的话，那也是一个共产党员应该做的，而且首先应归功于党的领导和同事们的协同合作。”陈之骅介绍了该书的部分特点特色：“全书的时间跨度是90年。但我并非90年间发生的什么事都写，而只是写与时代有关的事。只要能反映时代面貌及其变迁的，无论大事小事都写，反之，都不写。所写的大事如1959年赫鲁晓夫访华；小事如在北京四季青人民公社办公室里围着火炉啃窝头。书的封面标题右侧有十个字——‘写人生经历，记时代沧桑’，是读懂本书的一把钥匙。我紧紧把握着‘人永远是历史中的人，人生的经历刻着历史的年轮’这一命题。希望大家读后提出意见。”

Experts and scholars including Zhang Shengfa, President of the Chinese Society for the Study of the History of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; Zhang Jianhua and Li Xing, Level-2 Professors at the School of History, Beijing Normal University; Huang Lifu, Wang Xiaoju, and Hou Aijun, Research Fellows at the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Zhu Jianli and Xing Yuanyuan, Associate Research Fellows at the Institute of World History; and Bao Hongzheng, Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute of World History, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. The attending guests jointly wished that Comrade Chen Zhihua could easily surpass the centenary age [2]2 “Centenary age” (期颐之年) is a classical Chinese expression referring to the age of 100 years., in sync and in step with the selection and compilation of the hundred-volume *Be Vigilant in Times of Peace · World Socialism Series Booklets*.

中国苏联东欧史研究会会长张盛发，北京师范大学历史学院二级教授张建华、李兴，中国社会科学院世界历史研究所研究员黄立茀、王晓菊、侯艾君，世界历史研究所副研究员朱剑利、邢媛媛，世界历史研究所助理研究员鲍宏铮等专家学者出席会议并发表感言。与会嘉宾共同祝愿陈之骅同志能够轻松逾越期颐之年，与选编百集《居安思危·世界社会主义小丛书》同步同频。

Brief Introduction to Chen Zhihua:

陈之骅简介：

Chen Zhihua, born in 1934 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, graduated from high school at Shanghai Gezhi Middle School in 1952. In the same year, he was admitted to the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University. He graduated from the History Department of Leningrad State University in the Soviet Union in 1959. From 1959 to 1969, he taught at Renmin University of China. From 1969, he worked in the organs of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC. In 1978, he was transferred to the Institute of World History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, where he successively served as Director of the Socialist History Research Office, Deputy Director, and Editor-in-Chief of the journal *World History*. In 1985, he was rated as a research fellow and, in the same year, was specially approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council as a doctoral supervisor. In 1992, he was rated as an expert receiving special government allowances from the State Council. In 2006, he was rated as one of the first honorary academicians of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

陈之骅，1934年生于浙江杭州，1952年高中毕业于上海格致中学。同年考入北京大学中国语言文学系。1959年毕业于苏联列宁格勒大学历史系。1959-1969年在中国人民大学任教，1969年起在中共北京市委机关工作，1978年调入中国社会科学院世界历史研究所，先后担任社会主义史研究室主任、副所长兼《世界历史》杂志主编。1985年被评为研究员，同年被国务院学位委员会特批为博士生导师。1992年被评为国务院特殊津贴专家。2006年被评中国社会科学院首批荣誉学部委员。

He is currently a standing council member of the World Socialism Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Executive Editor-in-Chief of the series *Be Vigilant in Times of Peace: World Socialism Small Book Series*. He has previously served as Director of the History Teaching and Research Department of the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a professor at that school, a member of the World History Group of the National Social Science Fund Evaluation Committee, a member and History Group Leader of the National Education Commission’s Middle School History Textbook Review Committee, and Chairman of the First, Second, and Third Councils of the Chinese Society for Soviet and East European History. In 1987, he was elected as a member of the Executive Bureau of the International Committee for the History of the October Revolution in Russia under the International Committee of Historical Sciences.

现为中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心常务理事兼《居安思危·世界社会主义小丛书》执行主编。曾任中国社会科学院研究生院历史教学研究部主任，该院教授，国家社科基金评议委员会世界历史组成员，国家教委中学历史教科书审查委员会委员兼历史组组长，中国苏联东欧史研究会第一、二、三届理事会理事长。1987年当选为国际历史科学委员会俄国十月革命史国际委员会执行局成员。

Text and images: Li Xiaohua, Shan Chao

图文：李晓华、单超