Tracing the evolution of gender relations from the late Imperial period, through the Soviet Union, and up to the present day, Gender in Modern Russia broadly examines the everyday lives of both women and men, as well as cultural and political constructions of gender and sexuality.
Through a focus on the impact of four major themes - the state, work, the body and spirituality - Aaron B. Retish argues that the Communist experiment emancipated women and men from traditional social and political roles, but that crucially it did not break cultural roles and power relations. Retish goes on to show that this destabilization of gender roles largely explains why gender roles are so contested in present day Russia and why political, religious and cultural leaders use traditional gender images to assert control and to mobilize their base. This book is a vital text for anyone seeking to know more about the social history of Russia in the modern period.