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Lesbian Lives in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia: Post/Socialism and Gendered Sexualities
Based on extensive ethnographic research, this book explores the everyday lives of 'lesbian' women in urban Russia. The first part ('time') examines generational differences between women: it shows how the Soviet system shaped understandings and experiences of same-sex desire, and how same-sex identities and communities have been renegotiated since the demise of state socialism. The second part ('space') attends to regional variation in contemporary Russia, by considering what 'lesbian' life looks like in metropolitan Moscow and in the provincial city of Ul'ianovsk. Francesca Stella details how women negotiate their sexualities across different social spaces (the home, the workplace, the street) and explores how 'lesbian' space is collectively carved out.
Lesbian Lives in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia queries essentialist accounts of Russian sexualities as exceptional and foregrounds gender as key in shaping women's experiences. The book problematizes western-centric theorizations by critically engaging with existing perspectives on queer geotemporalities, post/socialist modernity and the value of public in/visibility.
Lesbian Lives in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia queries essentialist accounts of Russian sexualities as exceptional and foregrounds gender as key in shaping women's experiences. The book problematizes western-centric theorizations by critically engaging with existing perspectives on queer geotemporalities, post/socialist modernity and the value of public in/visibility.
201 pages, ebook
First published November 5, 2014
144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 25, 2026
So there are really two books here: a critique of western-facing scholarship regarding formerly Socialist countries, and a solid ethnography of a couple of different subsets of people in Russia. And unfortunately, Stella doesn't do a great job of integrating them or explaining how her theoretical framework affected her ethnography. The book is also at times incredibly repetitive as the author is usually just restating her analysis in her conclusions instead of using the conclusion space to link theory to practice.
The ethnography is interesting, not the least of which is because it represents a time in Russian history that doesn't exist anymore: a time of reduced state oppression, especially of sexual minorities, and a time when there was more contact between Western scholars and post-Soviet Russian citizens.
The author stresses how her female subjects negotiated their sexuality, picking and choosing how they wished to be out, instead of performing a coming out so as to be completely and flagrantly out of the closet. I think that instead the author flattens the way that Western queers negotiate how out they are.
I admit to using many of the same techniques that these women use when in more conservative areas of the United States, and even New York is not the queer utopia one might imagine it to be.
I'm also disappointed that the AIDS epidemic doesn't ever really feature into the author's analysis, as imo it had a huge effect on driving how and why Western queerness developed as it did. And by proxy, without the effects of AIDS and the mobilization of ACT UP and other such pan-queer organizations, Russian queer culture would of course be different. I'm not surprised that at the time of this writing, gays and lesbians had very different spheres and didn't interact much. They had less reason to interact with each other than American gays and lesbians.
I understand why the author didn't want to really get into gender identity in this book, but there is a difference in visibility for butches than with other wlw. And the author mentions it briefly, saying that Russians have an idea of what a lesbian looks like, and she's an androgynous or masc person. The author says sexuality isn't written on the body like other characteristics, but I don't think that's true, and I don't think it's possible to separate gender identity and presentation from sexual orientation. The book was not too long; the author definitely could have devoted more space to discussing it. But then again maybe that's a nuanced discussion possible in 2026 that isn't in 2015, when this book was published.
I did especially appreciate the information on how material realities and social expectations helped make heterosexuality the much, much easier choice, and how Soviet women negotiated for greater sexual freedom based on male partner selection or capitulation on reproduction, and the cost those choices had.
The ethnography is interesting, not the least of which is because it represents a time in Russian history that doesn't exist anymore: a time of reduced state oppression, especially of sexual minorities, and a time when there was more contact between Western scholars and post-Soviet Russian citizens.
The author stresses how her female subjects negotiated their sexuality, picking and choosing how they wished to be out, instead of performing a coming out so as to be completely and flagrantly out of the closet. I think that instead the author flattens the way that Western queers negotiate how out they are.
I admit to using many of the same techniques that these women use when in more conservative areas of the United States, and even New York is not the queer utopia one might imagine it to be.
I'm also disappointed that the AIDS epidemic doesn't ever really feature into the author's analysis, as imo it had a huge effect on driving how and why Western queerness developed as it did. And by proxy, without the effects of AIDS and the mobilization of ACT UP and other such pan-queer organizations, Russian queer culture would of course be different. I'm not surprised that at the time of this writing, gays and lesbians had very different spheres and didn't interact much. They had less reason to interact with each other than American gays and lesbians.
I understand why the author didn't want to really get into gender identity in this book, but there is a difference in visibility for butches than with other wlw. And the author mentions it briefly, saying that Russians have an idea of what a lesbian looks like, and she's an androgynous or masc person. The author says sexuality isn't written on the body like other characteristics, but I don't think that's true, and I don't think it's possible to separate gender identity and presentation from sexual orientation. The book was not too long; the author definitely could have devoted more space to discussing it. But then again maybe that's a nuanced discussion possible in 2026 that isn't in 2015, when this book was published.
I did especially appreciate the information on how material realities and social expectations helped make heterosexuality the much, much easier choice, and how Soviet women negotiated for greater sexual freedom based on male partner selection or capitulation on reproduction, and the cost those choices had.
April 17, 2019
Interesting though not super illuminating look at postsocialism and queer women in Russia
January 31, 2022
A very interesting little overview. It is very clearly (as the author states several times) directed at an outside audience but, if anyone is more interested, the bibliography is full of stuff you could read for further research.
I was struck by just how similar the homophobic attitudes (especially in the family) are to the way people approach homosexuality here, but I guess that was to be expected.
I was struck by just how similar the homophobic attitudes (especially in the family) are to the way people approach homosexuality here, but I guess that was to be expected.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews