The Women's Liberation Movement in Russia: Feminism, Nihilism, and Bolshevism, 1860-1930

by Richard Stites

Richard Stites views the struggle for liberation of Russian women in the context of both nineteenth-century European feminism and twentieth-century communism. The central personalities, their vigorous exchange of ideas, the social and political events that marked the emerging ideal of emancipation--all come to life in this absorbing and dramatic account. The author's history begins with the feminist, nihilist, and populist impulses of the 1860s and 1870s, and leads to the social mobilization campaigns of the early Soviet period.

Genres: History, Feminism, Gender, Russian History, Russia, Philosophy, Nonfiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Richard Thomas Stites (December 2, 1931 – March 7, 2010) was a historian of Russian culture and professor of history at Georgetown University.

Reviews

[xDEAD ENDx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out Russian feminism is just as boring and weak as American feminism. There's little in here that I found useful to my life, which isn't to say that it's bad, but I'm also not any sort of Russian or "feminism" historiographer. It's possibly a good resource for those who are.

The one part that did interest me (and I wish there was more of – though it's also beyond the scope of the book) is the shifting narrative around sex and sexuality. Definitely a lot of conservativism by Communism around sex that highlights some key distinctions between big and little c communism.

[Millie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hype is not equal to the product. This is an excellent title. Might be good for another time...and by a different author. Sorry, white guy, I don't want to listen to you talking about women's history and motivations.

In trying to make sure my assumption that he's white is correct, I found this. GROSS TITLE ALERT "Thanks to Viagra I Don't Roll Out of Bed Anymore" by Richard Stites.

I stand by my review.

[Sam Sawazki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for class and oh my it was dull. However, there is tons of information in it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a brilliant treatment of many facets of its subject, but it also ends up being, for the reader, one of the finest general histories to be found, of these crucial years in Russian history. The source material is unbelievably detailed, and clearly cited on each page. Not only that, the writing is, at many points, the boldest, clearest I've almost ever found in the Academy. The author's opinions, summaries, insights easily spill out of the historical constructions. The presence of the author's psyche (he never hides behind his quotes) means the material is contoured. The reader gets, not only huge amounts of information, but an authorial presence, as company, that is often daring, bold, insightful, revelatory. And one stylistic point made me especially happy: when Stites uses metaphors to explain history, these are revelatory, and their internal implications are followed through in the prose. Example: "The Soviet sexual Thermidor, like other historical phenomena bearing that poetic name, was reactionary. In this case it was a response to excessive interpretations of the libertarian slogans inscribed on the banners of the October Revolution, and a search for half-forgotten moorings on which to fasten the floating and bobbing social energies cut loose by the tempests of that revolution."

[Romina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Stites does a great job in identifying the political and ideological differences between women who wanted inclusion into the parameters of democratic rights allotted by the state (feminists) versus the revolutionary women moved by a utopian imaginary who sought a radically different society (revolutionary women). The descriptions of female nihilists of the 1850's leaving their bourgeois households, bobbing their hair, wearing shapeless black dresses and workman's boots, living in communes, and immersing themselves in university and revolutionary politics are inspirational. Also, by inserting the role and ideas of these revolutionary women (who had major quarrels with bourgeois feminists) alters the so-called radicalness of 19th century feminism and expands the debate of what defines a women's movement.