The Department of Russian Language and Literature, formerly known as the Russian Language School of the Tongwen Institute established in 1863, was later integrated into the Imperial University of Peking (now Peking University). In 1920, under the care of President Cai Yuanpei, the Department of Russian Literature was founded. In 1951, under the leadership of the renowned writer, translator, and educator Professor Cao Jinghua, the faculty from Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Yenching University came together to establish the Department of Russian Language and Literature at Peking University, reviving Russian language education after a long hiatus. The department became a master's degree-granting institution in 1978 and a doctoral degree-granting institution in 1990. Currently, it is recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program Construction Site, serves as the chair unit of the Russian Language Teaching and Research Branch of the Chinese Association for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies, and hosts the Ministry of Education's Virtual Teaching and Research Office for Russian Talent Training Model Reform. The department offers master's and doctoral programs in Russian linguistics, Russian literature, Russian culture, translation theory and practice, and enrolls undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students annually. Graduates are active in higher education institutions, government agencies, news media, aerospace technology, national defense, commerce, and finance.

The department comprises two teaching and research sections: Language and Literature. It currently has 20 faculty members, including 7 professors, 3 tenured associate professors, 8 associate professors, and 2 assistant professors, along with 4 postdoctoral researchers and 1 foreign instructor. The department has established long-term collaborations with institutions such as Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg University in Russia, and regularly invites scholars from Russia and other countries to offer courses or deliver special lectures.

The department has always adhered to the creed of "mastering the Russian language and exploring Russian affairs," dedicating itself to cultivating high-level, well-rounded talents. Faculty members have published numerous monographs, translations, textbooks, anthologies, and reference works. In recent years, under the guidance of senior scholars, mid-career and young faculty have formed two strong research teams in Russian literature and Russian linguistics, becoming a leading force in the field of Russian language and literature teaching and research in China. Over the past five years, the department has undertaken 20 national and provincial-level research projects. Professor Ning Qi has led two teaching reform initiatives, both of which won the Peking University Teaching Achievement Special Prize, the Beijing Higher Education Teaching Achievement First Prize, and the National Teaching Achievement Second Prize. The Basic Russian Teaching Team has won the Peking University Teaching Achievement First Prize and the Outstanding Team Award, and the Basic Russian (1-4) course has been selected as a National First-Class Offline Undergraduate Course. On the broader platform of Russian studies, the department has developed a range of specialized courses, including literary history, classic author studies, literary translation, grammar, discourse linguistics, and Sino-Russian comparative literature and culture.