俄國於十九、二十世紀交界的前後十年內，收集了很多中國的年畫，其間的因緣際會歷來一直罕有人加以詳細說明。本文追溯這段歷史，自俄國民俗版畫的歷史發展談起，說明俄國在十九世紀下半期的民族主義思潮如何的影響了知識份子對民俗版畫的興趣。並且，在這樣的背景下，俄國旅人也開始收集中國年畫，其中最關鍵的兩位漢學家是阿理克（Василий Михайлович Алексеев）及李福清（Борис Львович Рифтин）。
然而知識份子雖然收集民俗版畫，卻無法完全參透畫面的意義。在解讀民俗畫的過程中，經常可見以知識份子本位出發的臆測，與民間文化的脈絡脫節。阿理克所收集的兩組「五鬼鬧判圖」（藏於聖彼得堡宗教歷史博物館），背後均有他請漢文先生寫下來的說明，但說明內容往往與畫面意旨有
落差。這種對民俗畫的誤讀除了肇因於知識份子對於民間文化的陌生與輕視，也來自於不同專長領域的差異。本文除了指出這些誤讀外，也對照俄國版畫被誤讀的案例，歸納民俗畫解讀的困境，並針對這種困境提出解讀途徑的建議。

During the decades that bridged the 19th and 20th century,
individual Russians acquired a considerable number of Chinese woodblock
prints, for reasons which remain largely unexplored. It is the purpose
of this essay to re-trace the history of these acquisitions. I will begin
by giving an account of the historical development of Russian woodblock
prints. I will then describe how the late 19th century Russian nationalism
helped to arouse the interest of intellectuals in Russian folk
woodblock prints. Given this background, Russian travelers to China
began to purchase Chinese folk woodblock prints. Two notable Russian
sinologists who were involved in woodblock print collection and research
are Vasily M. Alexeyev and Boris L. Riftin.
Despite their enthusiasm, the intellectuals who collected folk prints
did not always comprehend their meanings. In the process of deciphering
folk imagery one often observes a tendency toward capricious speculation
on the part of intellectuals that has little to do with the context of
folk culture. Two sets of “Demons Frolicking with Zhong Kui” purchased
by Alexeyev, currently held in the State Museum of History of
Religion, serve as an illuminating example. After this acquisition,
Alexeyev asked his Chinese teachers to write down the meanings of the
pictures and had the notes attached to the back of the pictures. These
notes frequently misinterpret the significance and betrays the Chinese intellectuals’ poor understanding of and demeaning attitude toward
folk culture. Drawing on comparisons with the Russian lubki, I will investigate
such misinterpretations, point out the dilemma of folk picture
interpretation, and propose one way of reading and deciphering folk
pictures.