Seasoned Socialism considers the relationship between gender and food in late Soviet daily life. Political and economic conditions heavily influenced Soviet life and foodways during this period and an exploration of Soviet women's central role in the daily sustenance for their families as well as the obstacles they faced on this quest offers new insights into intergenerational and inter-gender power dynamics of that time. Food, both in its quality and quantity, was a powerful tool in the Soviet Union. This collection features work by scholars in an array of fields including cultural studies, literary studies, sociology, history, and food studies, and the work gathered here explores the intersection of gender, food, and culture in the post-1960s Soviet context. From personal cookbooks to gulag survival strategies, Seasoned Socialism considers gender construction and performance across a wide array of primary sources, including poetry, fiction, film, women's journals, oral histories, and interviews. This collection provides fresh insight into how the Soviet government sought to influence both what citizens ate and how they thought about food.

About the Author

Anastasia Lakhtikova received her PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Washington University in St. Louis.

Angela Brintlinger is Professor of Slavic Languages and Cultures at Ohio State University and author of Writing a Usable Past: Russian Literary Culture (1917-1937) and Chapaev and His Comrades: War and the Russian Literary Hero across the Twentieth Century.

Irina Glushchenko teaches in the School of Cultural Studies of the Division of Humanities at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow. She is author of Food and Drinks: Mikoyan and Soviet Cuisine and editor of Time, Forward! Cultural Politics in the USSR and (with Boris Kagarlitsky and Vitaly Kurennoy) of USSR: Life after Death.

Reviews

Seasoned Socialism manages to pull off the difficult trick of being at once a serious academic exploration of food's role in history as well as a highly readable social history. . . . This book, celebrating the indomitable spirit of Russian hospitality and its essential ingredients, is a must-read for all serious students of Late Soviet history, culinary historians, and anyone interested in a compelling examination of the relationship between food and history.

* The Moscow Times *

Overall, Indiana University Press has published an attractive, well-edited volume. . . . Recommended.

* Choice *

The volume makes a significant and long-awaited interdisciplinary contribution to the areas of consumption, material culture, gender, film,and poetry studies. It is a well-written and well-organized collection of approaches to understandingthe nuances of Soviet food and gender relations, as well as food cultures under socialism; it is, therefore, highly recommended to anyone interested in these areas of study. Each scholar contributes to the general topic suggested by the editors by adding to the overall picture their own research focus and lens, which makes the volume a rich collection of thoughts about the diversity of food cultures and modes of gender relations in late Soviet society.

* H-Socialisms *

As an important synthesis of oral history, literature, and film studies, Seasoned Socialism will undoubtfully be very useful for teaching courses focusing on Soviet culture and society in late socialist years and beyond.

* The Russian Review *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253040961
Author Anastasia Lakhtikova
Format Paperback
Page Count 390
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press