Description
Book SynopsisIn the Soviet Union in the late 1930s, a number of peasants turned to shock work (working to produce as much as humanly possible) and became local heroines and heroes, serving as role models for the rest of the rural community. In this compelling work, Mary Buckley explores the neglected story of rural shock work and Stakhanovism in the Soviet countryside and analyzes its relevance for Soviet subjects, society, state and propaganda. Why were some peasants keen to become Stakhanovites? Certainly there were rewards_these workers were glorified in ideology and blazoned in the press as role models for others to emulate. However, local conditions were difficult and Stakhanovites often suffered a lack of support, were ridiculed, and endured hostility and violence. Some gave up, but others remained resolute. The reader is introduced to individuals like Mariia Demchenko, a twenty-two-year-old peasant from the Comintern collective farm in Kiev oblast, Ukraine, who urged those working in sugar
Trade ReviewThe book will be notable for those interested in Stakhanovism, gender in the Soviet Union, and Soviet rural life in the 1930s. * Middle East and Northern Africa *
Buckley has examined an impressive array of primary sources...her study provides a useful guide to future researchers of Soviet rural affairs....the book serves as a template for the writing of broader Soviet histories. * Europe-Asia Studies, November 2007 *
Buckley has written a significant book that addresses major issues in the wider history of the Soviet Union under Stalin and that can be recommended to historians and social scientists, graduate students, and undergraduates taking advanced courses....an engaging read... * Slavic Review, Spring 2008 *
This pathbreaking work by a leading analyst of women and women's politics in Soviet and contemporary Russia puts Stalin's countryside in an entirely new light. By demonstrating how and why Stalin's victimized peasantry negotiated rural Stakhanovism, Buckley imaginatively engages the complexities of power, context, agency, mentality, and political culture. A fine work of scholarship and interpretation. -- William G. Rosenberg, University of Michigan
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Historical Context Chapter 3 Rural Stakhanovism on Official Agendas Chapter 4 Official Images of Rural Shock Work and Stakhanovism Chapter 5 The Press as Constructor of Images Chapter 6 Specialist Lessons of Stakhanovism Chapter 7 Resistance on the Farm Chapter 8 Political Blindness at the Local Level and Purges Chapter 9 Inadequate Supplies and Poor Conditions Chapter 10 Why Be a Rural Shock Worker and Stakhanovite? Chapter 11 Gender and Stakhanovism Chapter 12 What Was the Significance of Rural Stakhanovism? Chapter 13 Conclusion Chapter 14 Appendix I: Sources and Methodology Chapter 15 Appendix II: Krest'ianskaia Gazeta
