Outdoor Adventures in the Soviet Union and the Post-Soviet Space: The Metamorphoses of Proletarian Tourism

by Alexander Statiev

Exploring the evolution of adventure tourism in Russia from imperial times to the present, this book highlights the distinctive features of Soviet non-commercial trekking, boating, climbing, and skiing expeditions organised by urbanites during their annual vacations.

This study, based on archival and other contemporary sources, and interviews with key leaders of the Soviet outdoor community, also benefits from the unique personal perspective of the author who led numerous expeditions across Soviet wilderness. The book discusses the uneasy symbiotic relationship between tourist self-administration and the state bureaucracy that attempted to impose its own program on outdoor enthusiasts; the culture of Soviet adventure tourism, including its distinctly militaristic flavour; the social, ethnic, and gender composition of tourist teams; and a host of problems, unfamiliar to Western adventurers, encountered and solved along the thorny path to the trailhead. The book analyses the temporary micro-socialities created by Soviet tourists, exposing the values that flourished outside of state control.

Outdoor Adventures in the Soviet Union and the Post-Soviet Space will be a useful resource to scholars of authoritarianism, especially those studying the latter in the context of cultural and sports history as well as for graduate students taking courses on cultural or social history.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 18, 2026

About the author

Alexander Statiev is Associate Professor of History at the University of Waterloo.