Description
Book SynopsisThis book examines a highly significant chapter in the history of the Russian state and society: how those in power in Russian understood the impact of drinking on the state policy and on Russia's working classes between 1895 and 1932.
Trade ReviewWritten with grace and authority, ‘Under the Influence’ is a model monograph . . . the most thorough study of its kind. But more than this, Transchel’s study places alcohol consumption within the working-class culture of the time, in a way that helps us understand why the abolitionist movements of the time were repeatedly defeated."" -
Slavic Review""A compelling analysis of a much-cited yet superficially investigated aspect of Russian and Soviet life. Through a careful investigation of an impressive array of archival and primary resources, Transchel’s work offers inportant insights into the relationship between the newly industrialized working classes and the Russian state through the negotiaation over the use and abuse of alcohol."" -
Labor History""An insightful, well-written, and thoroughly researched account of how tenacious and enduring traditional practices thwarted the Soviet state’s attempts to transform everyday life. It deserves a wide readership."" -
Annals of the History of Eastern Europe""A solid examination of the persistence of drinking culture despite revolutionaries’ attempts to eliminate it, using a wide range of all available sources. It should be read not only by those who study Russia, but also by those who study working class culture in other areas of the world. Concisely and clearly written, the study would be a useful supplementary text in upper-level undergraduate Russian history classes."" -
The NEP Era""Using drinking as a lens through which to assess cultural revolution in Russia, Transchel persuasively reveals how practices steeped in everyday life limited state-sponsored efforts to remake society. In elegantly lean prose, she demonstrates how workers effectively resisted Bolshevik efforts to establish cultural hegemony and what this ultimately meant for the Soviet project."" - Donald J. Raleigh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
