This study focuses on Soviet television audiences and examines their watching habits and the way they made use of television programs. Kirsten Boenker challenges the common misconception that viewers perceived Soviet television programming and entertainment culture as dull and formulaic. This study draws extensively on archival sources and oral history interviews to analyze how Soviet television involved audiences in political communication and how it addressed audiences' emotional commitments to Soviet values and the Soviet way of life. Boenker argues that the Brezhnev era influenced political stability and brought an unprecedented rise of the living standards, creating new meanings for consumerism, the idea of the "home," and private life among Soviet citizens. Exploring the concept of emotional bonding, this study engages broader discussions on the durability of the Soviet Union until perestroika.

Book Information
ISBN 9781498526883
Author Kirsten Boenker
Format Hardback
Page Count 314
Imprint Lexington Books
Publisher Lexington Books