| House of Zhang Чжан (Russian) 張 (Chinese) | |
|---|---|
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| Country |  Russia |
| Titles | Prince/Princess of Manchuria |
| Founder | "Oleg" Zhang Xueming |
| Current head | Vassily I Vladimirovich, Prince of Manchuria |
| Ethnicity | Manchurian Han Chinese |
The House of Zhang (Russian: Чжан, Chzhan; Chinese: 張) is a Manchurian Chinese royal family based in Russian Principality of Manchuria. They currently bear the titles Grand Duke/Grand Duchess, Duke/Duchess and Prince/Princess of Manchuria. Many are also the highest ranks within the Manchu Banner system. They are among one of Russia's wealthiest and most powerful families, producing many military generals and commanders, businessmen, fashion designers and all facets of elite society in Russia.
The family is of long-generations Chinese noble descent dating back to the days of the Qing Dynasty, the established Manchurian Chinese family who bears the Russian princely title of knyaz, is descended from Zhang Zhaolin. In this alternate timeline, Zhang Zhaolin's descendants are exiled in Russia, and are given royal titles as reward for their defection.
During the Russo-Chinese conflict, both Zhang Xueliang and Zhang Xueming, sons of Zhang Zhaolin, defected to the pro-Russian side as part of the broader Chinese White Movement, or the Beifang Alliance (Great Northern Alliance) he commanded a force known as the Harbin Chinese Force, a Russian-trained army of Han Chinese to go and liberate Kharbin and Manchuria from the Japanese.
With a total combined net worth of $88.5 billion, the House of Zhang is one of Russia's wealthiest princely families. Although their national affiliation is with Russia, many have retained contact and heavy ties with their ancestors' Chinese homeland, also becoming extremely wealthy in China, many have become dual citizens of both Russia and China, however as China is a republic, their royal titles are not recognized in China.
History[]
...during the Russo-Chinese conflict, Xueming initially commanded an army in Manchuria to fight Russian forces. However, he and most of his officers grew extremely spiteful of China, and defected to the Russian side upon turning monarchist. They would later join with Manchu Bannermen, who too, sided with the Tsar, and played an instrumental role in consolidating Russian rule over Manchuria.
In 1958, after visiting the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kharbin, he became baptized into the Eastern Orthodox Church. Many of his officers and soldiers too, became influenced and Eastern Orthodox, thus, setting the state for the transformation of the Chinese Orthodox Church into a major autonomous church within the Moscow Patriarchate.
Upon hearing, many royals in the Russian military contacted the Imperial Court to have Xueming crowned as a Prince. This request was approved, and he thus, became coronated as a knyaz. Before arriving to his coronation, his second wife, Zhu Luo Jun and his two sons, Zhang Yuan Chong and Zheng Pengju, became Eastern Orthodox. He and his family were coronated in both Russian and Traditional Chinese customs. His officers and soldier too, recieved titles of barons and counts, according to their ranks.
Zhang Yuan Chong, who took on the Russian name Mikhail, became a bussinessman, and via his economic fortune in both Hong Kong and Russia, used his Hong Kong money to fund the further land development of Kharbin and Port Arthur. Zheng, who adopted the Russian name Ivan, joined the Imperial Russian forces.
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