Tag: Soviet Union
Library Trial of Soviet Woman Digital Archive (25 October 2021 through 24 November 2021).
We have set up a thirty-day trial of the Soviet Woman Digital Archive (1945-1991)
To link to this database during the trial is below:
Published initially under the aegis of the Soviet Women’s Anti-Fascist Committee and the Central Council of Trade Unions of the USSR, in the aftermath of WWII in 1945, the Soviet Woman magazine began as a bi-monthly illustrated magazine tasked with countering anti-Soviet propaganda. The magazine introduced Western audiences to the lifestyle of Soviet women, their role in the post-WWII rebuilding of the Soviet economy, and praised their achievements in the arts and the sciences.
Additional Information:
The magazine covered issues dealing with economics, politics, life abroad, life in Soviet republics, women’s fashion, as well as broader issues in culture and the arts. One of its most popular features was the translations of Soviet literary works, making available in English, (and other languages) works of Russian and Soviet writers that were previously unavailable. An important communist propaganda outlet, the magazine continued its run until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
Coverage:1945-1991
Vendor: East View
Producer:Правда
Trial of 30 Dnei Digital Archive
As a courtesy from our vendor East View, I was glad to inform you that we have set up a 30 day trial of a Russian periodical of literary importance- 30 Dnei. Below links provide access information and publisher-provided description.
The trial will end on 29th April 2021.
30 DNEI
Founded in 1925 in Moscow and in continuous print until its closure in 1941, 30 Dnei was an illustrated Soviet literary journal most famous for the serialized publications of such Soviet literary sensations as Il’f and Petrov’s The Twelve Chairs and The Golden Calf. Praised and supported by none other than Maxim Gorky the journal was conceived by its publisher as a platform for the publication of short form literature, both original and translated, and was geared towards the emerging generation of writers and the intelligentsia. Apart from helping launch and shape the literary careers of a slew of Soviet writers the journal was instrumental in introducing acclaimed works of short fiction, essays, and poetry by foreign authors as well. Some of the most important Soviet and foreign writers whose works have appeared on the pages of 30 Dnei were Vasily Grossman, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Boris Pasternak, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Paul Valery and others. Falling into disfavor with the central government in later years, with periodical criticisms of the editorial direction of the journal appearing in Pravda and Literaturnaia gazeta, the journal would cease publication soon after Nazi Germany’s invasion of the USSR in June of 1941.
30 Dnei Digital Archive contains the complete run of the popular literary monthly journal and represents an important resource for researchers of Soviet history and literature in its formative period.
Happy International Women’s Day-March 8th!
Today, March 8, is celebrated around the world as International Women’s Day. In the USSR, this holiday was celebrated rather religiously as the role of Soviet women in the success of the Soviet experiment and internationalist policies was undeniable. The conceptualization of the Soviet Woman as an idea was nuanced and complicated. A Wikipedia entry starts as follows, “International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.[3] It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women.”[4]
Image Source: Messy Nessy (https://www.messynessychic.com/2017/03/10/the-soviet-communist-origins-of-international-womens-day/) Fair Academic Use Only. The copyright belongs to the creator of the image.
Temma Kaplan’s article, “On the Socialist Origins of International Women’s Day,” provides insights into how this day became a signifier in the Socialist World. One however forgets that the origins of this day can be found in Germany as noted by Rochelle Goldberg Ruthchild in her article, “From West to East International Women’s Day, the First Decade.” Here you can access some materials from UC Berkeley Library’s catalog regarding International Women’s Day. Also, some posters from the collections of several California libraries can be found here.
One can watch an interesting clip from YouTube with a title, “Демонстрация женщин в 1917 году. Московские Новости. 8 марта 1967,” and a concert honoring women in the Soviet Union from 1984.
Below is the clip of a 1963 concert dedicated to International Women’s day:Концерт 8 Марта из Большого театра СССР (1963).
And here is a clip of protest on the occasion of March 8th from Mexico.
Primary Sources: Moscow News Digital Archive
The Library has recently acquired access to Moscow News (pub. 1930-2014), which, as described on the database platform, “was the oldest English-language newspaper in Russia and, arguably, the newspaper with the longest democratic history. From a mouthpiece of the Communist party to an influential advocate for social and political change, the pages of Moscow News reflect the shifting ideological, political, social and economic currents that have swept through the Soviet Union and Russia in the last century.
“The Moscow News Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues (1930-2014, approx. 60,000 pages), including issues of the newspaper’s short-lived sister publication Moscow Daily News (1932-1938).
“The Moscow News Digital Archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization, complete original graphics, and searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other East View digital resources.”