The report is a review of the diaries, made by Russian diplomat Georgy Antonovich
Planson (1859-?). G.A. Planson kept diaries for many years of his work in East and Southeast Asia. He left diaries about his service in China, Korea and Siam, in which the diplomat
described the current political situation in these countries, took notes of an ethnographic
specificities and daily life, recorded meetings with outstanding persons at that time: rulers
of states, representatives of different religions, high-ranking officials.
The speaker concludes that the diaries of diplomat G.A. Planson are of scientific interest because they contain information on various aspects of foreign and domestic policy
of the late XIX – early XX centuries. In addition, due to the significant amount of materials
left by the diplomat, one can find in it an additional source of important information on related topics, for example, related to the diplomatic life of the late XIX and early XX centuries, and the specifics of maintaining a diplomatic protocol. The diaries are rich in ethnographic material, which can also be used to study relevant issues.