Daily Life in the Soviet Union

(Hardback)

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Description

What was ordinary life like during the extraordinary time of the Soviet Union Upheaval, terror, suspicion and deprivation were constants in the USSR under the communist rule that lasted for most of the twentieth century. Yet people still worked in factories, farmed the fields, served in the military, wrote, broke the law and sentenced the lawbreakers, governed villages and cities, and raised and supported families. The Soviet period was extraordinary not only because of the vast and diversified terror campaign that killed millions of Soviet citizens, two crippling World Wars and an economically devastating Cold War, but also because of the high degree of hope and idealism for a just society that accompanied the birth of the Soviet State. Commencing with an historical overview of the Soviet era, 1917 - 1991, this work offers critical background information on the Russian Revolution and Civil War, the New Economic Policy, Collectivization, Industrialism, Stalin's Terror, World War II, the Cold War, economic failures, Glasnost, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Once the background is established, key elements of life as it was lived, are presented. Ethnic groups, military life, rural and city life are given full treatments. Domestic concerns are examined too, by looking at how and for what people shopped, what they ate, what kind of housing they lived in, and what sort of health care and education Soviet citizens received. The arts, popular culture, and leisure time activities are placed within their Soviet-era contexts as well. Thirty-four maps and illustrations round out the work, as do a glossary of terms and a bibliographic essay of multimedia sources for those interested in further reading and research.

Reviews

"Formerly with Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, Texas, Eaton has written extensively on the subject of Soviet theater. She provides students and interested laypersons with a view into the day-to-day experiences of average people in the Soviet police state, mainly those who lived and worked in Russia's cities and on farms. Structured topically, the text begins with an historical overview of the Soviet period (1917-1991) and a timeline, followed by chapters on ethnic groups and nationalities; government and law; the military; economy, class structure, food, clothing, and shopping; rural life; housing; health care and health problems; education; the arts; mass media, leisure, and popular culture; and religion. Includes a glossary and a bibliography of multimedia sources."-Art Book News Annual
[A] compelling if depressing read, especially for anyone interest in Russia and its people. Students will find it more detailed that what is usually necessary to fulfill assignments, but they might find the book useful as supplemental material, as much of what is written will not be covered in the usual sources.-VOYA
A penetrating study of the history, ethnic composition, class structure, economics, and the arts of the former Soviet Union that sheds light on the everyday life of average citizens of that period, especially those living in the urban areas. The book is illustrated with period photographs, many emphasizing the grim conditions of people's lives during Soviet rule.-Curriculum Connections/School Library Journal
Background chapters on the history, ethnic makeup, and government of the former Soviet Union are followed by an examination of how the economic system, class structure, education, health care, and the arts manifested themselves in people's daily lives....Eaton writes lucidly and has produced a masterful synthesis of research by historians and sociologists, autobiographies of Russian dissidents, and the work of journalists and writers....This would be an ideal addition to libraries in high schools offering a course on Russian and Soviet history.-School Library Journal
Formerly with Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, Texas, Eaton has written extensively on the subject of Soviet theater. She provides students and interested laypersons with a view into the day-to-day experiences of average people in the Soviet police state, mainly those who lived and worked in Russia's cities and on farms. Structured topically, the text begins with an historical overview of the Soviet period (1917-1991) and a timeline, followed by chapters on ethnic groups and nationalities; government and law; the military; economy, class structure, food, clothing, and shopping; rural life; housing; health care and health problems; education; the arts; mass media, leisure, and popular culture; and religion. Includes a glossary and a bibliography of multimedia sources.-Art Book News Annual
"A compelling if depressing read, especially for anyone interest in Russia and its people. Students will find it more detailed that what is usually necessary to fulfill assignments, but they might find the book useful as supplemental material, as much of what is written will not be covered in the usual sources."-VOYA
"[A] compelling if depressing read, especially for anyone interest in Russia and its people. Students will find it more detailed that what is usually necessary to fulfill assignments, but they might find the book useful as supplemental material, as much of what is written will not be covered in the usual sources."-VOYA
"A penetrating study of the history, ethnic composition, class structure, economics, and the arts of the former Soviet Union that sheds light on the everyday life of average citizens of that period, especially those living in the urban areas. The book is illustrated with period photographs, many emphasizing the grim conditions of people's lives during Soviet rule."-Curriculum Connections/School Library Journal
"Background chapters on the history, ethnic makeup, and government of the former Soviet Union are followed by an examination of how the economic system, class structure, education, health care, and the arts manifested themselves in people's daily lives....Eaton writes lucidly and has produced a masterful synthesis of research by historians and sociologists, autobiographies of Russian dissidents, and the work of journalists and writers....This would be an ideal addition to libraries in high schools offering a course on Russian and Soviet history."-School Library Journal

Author Bio

Katherine B. Eaton was for many years professor of English at Tarrant County College in Forth Worth, Texas. She has twice been a Fulbright Lecturer in lasi, Romania. She is the author of The Theater of Meyerhold and Brecht and the editor of Enemies of the People: The Destruction of Soviet Literary, Theater, and Film Arts in the 1930s.