Youth in Revolutionary Russia: Enthusiasts, Bohemians, Delinquents

Youth in Revolutionary Russia: Enthusiasts, Bohemians, Delinquents

Anne E. Gorsuch

A vivid account of Bolshevik efforts to "Sovietize" young people in the 1920s.

"A very impressive work--broad, learned, and very readable." --Lynn Mally

"A welcome and fascinating addition to the social and cultural history of the 1920s in Russia and to the comparative study of youth politics and culture in contemporary Europe and elsewhere." --Mark von Hagen

In Bolshevik Russia, the successful transformation of young people into communists was crucial for the future of the Soviet state. Soviet youth needed to be shaped into communists in every aspect of their daily lives--work, leisure, gender relations, and family life. But how could the Bolsheviks accomplish this enormous project? What did it mean to be "made communist"? What were the consequences if prerevolutionary and "bourgeois" culture and social relations could not be transformed into new socialist forms of behavior and belief? Drawing from a wide range of sources--diaries, party speeches, propagandistic writings, scientific studies, and literature--Anne E. Gorsuch reveals the rich diversity of youth cultures in Soviet Russia during the 1920s. She explores the relationship between representation and reality and between official ideology and popular culture, along with the meaning of these relationships for the making of a Soviet state and society. From the clash between ultracommunist visions of what Russian young people should be and the flamboyant style of flappers and foxtrotters so prominently imported from the capitalist West, emerges a vivid picture of the construction of Soviet youth. Thoughtful and appealing, Youth in Revoluntionary Russia is essential reading for those interested in popular culture and Soviet history.

Anne E. Gorsuch is Assistant Professor of History at the University of British Columbia.

Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian and East European Studies--Alexander Rabinowitch and William G. Rosenberg, editors

Contents

Introduction: Youth and Culture

The Politics of Generation

The Urban Environment

Making Youth Communist

Excesses of Enthusiasm

Gender and Generation

Flappers and Foxtrotters

Life and Leisure on the Street

Discourses of Delinquency

Epilogue

"Gorsuch gives an excellent scholarly gloss on a period and subject previously only brought to life through literature--notably Anatoli Rybakov's Children of the Arbat (CH, Oct'88). She argues convincingly from the outset that in moving away from war communism to the more moderate policy of making a new communist society through cultural enlightenment and purification during the New Economic Policy (NEP), it was necessary for the Soviet Union's leaders to transform young people. Since there existed a deep disjunction between idealized Soviet youth and the persistently noncommunist cultures shared by many of these young people, and since Bolshevik moralists were inclined to see almost all nonconformist behavior as delinquent and a threat to the larger issue of revolutionary societal transformation, the stage was set for a real kulturkampf. In a series of absolutely first-rate social histories, the author discusses fashions, drinking, social hygiene, the role of gender and generation, the goals of Soviet moralists, and, in perhaps the most spectacularly interesting chapter of all, flappers and foxtrotters. Based on a wealth of archival materials, periodical literature, and primary sources, this is a must read for Soviet and twentieth-century European social historians of all levels. All collections and levels." --G. E. Snow, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, 2001apr CHOICE. Indiana University Press Indiana University Press Indiana University Press

Youth in Revolutionary Russia: Enthusiasts, Bohemians, DelinquentsAnne E.Gorsuch

A vivid account of Bolshevik efforts to Sovietize youngpeople in the 1920s.

A very impressive work -- broad, learned, and very readable. -- Lynn Mally

A welcome and fascinatingaddition to the social and cultural history of the 1920s in Russia and to thecomparative study of youth politics and culture in contemporary Europe andelsewhere. -- Mark von Hagen

In Bolshevik Russia, the successfultransformation of young people into communists was crucial for the future of theSoviet state. Soviet youth needed to be shaped into communists in every aspect oftheir daily lives -- work, leisure, gender relations, and family life. But how couldthe Bolsheviks accomplish this enormous project? What did it mean to be madecommunist? What were the consequences if prerevolutionary and bourgeois cultureand social relations could not be transformed into new socialist forms of behaviorand belief? Drawing from a wide range of sources -- diaries, party speeches, propagandistic writings, scientific studies, and literature -- Anne E. Gorsuchreveals the rich diversity of youth cultures in Soviet Russia during the 1920s. Sheexplores the relationship between representation and reality and between officialideology and popular culture, along with the meaning of these relationships for themaking of a Soviet state and society. From the clash between ultracommunist visionsof what Russian young people should be and the flamboyant style of flappers andfoxtrotters so prominently imported from the capitalist West, emerges a vividpicture of the construction of Soviet youth. Thoughtful and appealing, Youth inRevoluntionary Russia is essential reading for those interested in popular cultureand Soviet history. Anne E. Gorsuch is Assistant Professor of History at theUniversity of British Columbia.

Indiana-Michigan Series in Russianand East European Studies -- Alexander Rabinowitch and William G. Rosenberg, editors

ContentsIntroduction: Youth and CultureThe Politics ofGeneration The Urban EnvironmentMaking Youth CommunistExcesses of EnthusiasmGenderand GenerationFlappers and FoxtrottersLife and Leisure on the StreetDiscourses ofDelinquencyEpilogue

Youth in Revolutionary Russia: Enthusiasts, Bohemians, Delinquents

Anne E. Gorsuch

A vivid account of Bolshevikefforts to Sovietize young people in the 1920s.

A veryimpressive work -- broad, learned, and very readable. -- LynnMally

A welcome and fascinating addition to the social andcultural history of the 1920s in Russia and to the comparative study of youthpolitics and culture in contemporary Europe and elsewhere. -- Mark vonHagen

In Bolshevik Russia, the successful transformation of youngpeople into communists was crucial for the future of the Soviet state. Soviet youthneeded to be shaped into communists in every aspect of their daily lives -- work, leisure, gender relations, and family life. But how could the Bolsheviks accomplishthis enormous project? What did it mean to be made communist? What were theconsequences if prerevolutionary and bourgeois culture and social relations couldnot be transformed into new socialist forms of behavior and belief? Drawing from awide range of sources -- diaries, party speeches, propagandistic writings, scientific studies, and literature -- Anne E. Gorsuch reveals the rich diversity ofyouth cultures in Soviet Russia during the 1920s. She explores the relationshipbetween representation and reality and between official ideology and popularculture, along with the meaning of these relationships for the making of a Sovietstate and society. From the clash between ultracommunist visions of what Russianyoung people should be and the flamboyant style of flappers and foxtrotters soprominently imported from the capitalist West, emerges a vivid picture of theconstruction of Soviet youth. Thoughtful and appealing, Youth in RevoluntionaryRussia is essential reading for those interested in popular culture and Soviethistory.

Anne E. Gorsuch is Assistant Professor of History atthe University of British Columbia.

Indiana-Michigan Series inRussian and East European Studies -- Alexander Rabinowitch and William G. Rosenberg, editors

Contents

Introduction: Youth andCulture

The Politics of Generation

The UrbanEnvironment

Making Youth Communist

Excesses ofEnthusiasm

Gender and Generation

Flappers andFoxtrotters

Life and Leisure on the Street

Discourses ofDelinquency

Epilogue

Anne E. Gorsuch is Associate Professor in History at the University of British Columbia.

Preliminary Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Youth and Culture

1. The Politics of Generation

2. The Urban Environment

3. Making Youth Communist

4. Excesses of Enthusiasm

5. Gender and Generation

6. Flappers and Foxtrotters

7. Life and Leisure on the Street

8. Discourses of Delinquency

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index