The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman

by Alexandra Kollontai, Germaine Greer (Foreword)

Prefatory Note

This is the first time that the complete autobiography which Alexandra Kollontai wrote in 1926 has been published. The sentences and paragraphs in italics were crossed out in the galleyproofs and left out in her time. Variants were indicated in footnotes which likewise were rejected and crossed out. The reader thus will have an idea of the extent and the intensity of corrections made by the author under the pressure of the gradually sharpening Stalinist control.

an excerpt from the opening: The Aims and Worth of My Life

Nothing is more difficult than writing an autobiography. What should be emphasized? Just what is of general interest? It is advisable, above all, to write honestly and dispense with any of the conventional introductory protestations of modesty. For if one is called upon to tell about one's life so as to make the events that made it what it became useful to the general public, it can mean only that one must have already wrought something positive in life, accomplished a task that people recognize. [1] Accordingly it is a matter of forgetting that one is writing about oneself, of making an effort to abjure one's ego so as to give an account, as objectively as possible, of one's life in the making and of one's accomplishments. I intend to make this effort but whether it will turn out successfully is something else again. At the same time I must confess that, in a certain sense, this autobiography poses a problem for me. For by looking back while prying, simultaneously, into the future, I will also be presenting to myself the most crucial turning points of my being and accomplishments. In this way I [2a] may succeed in setting into bold relief that which concerns the women's liberation struggle and, further, the social significance which it has.[2] That I ought not to shape my life according to the given model, that I would have to grow beyond myself in order to be able to discern my life's true line of vision was an awareness that was mine already in my youngest years. At the same time I was also aware [3] that in this way I could help my sisters to shape their lives, in accordance not with the given traditions but with their own free choice to the extent, of course, that social and economic circumstances permit. I always believed that the time inevitably must come when woman will be judged by the same moral standards applied to man. For it is not her specific feminine virtue that gives her a place of honor in human society, but the worth of the useful mission accomplished by her, [4a] the worth of her personality as human being, as citizen, [4b] as thinker, as fighter.

Footnotes

[1] Author's correction: created something which is recognized by society.

[2a] perhaps

[2] Author's correction: to emphasize that which has an importance for the solution of the social problems of our time, and which also includes the great problem of complete women's liberation. Author's note with respect to 2: delete

[3] Author's correction: I had a certain presentiment

[4a] for society

[4b] as creative worker

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, History, Russia, Memoir, Gender, Womens

137 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1926

About the author

Alexandra Mikhailovna Kollontai (Russian: Александра Михайловна Коллонтай — née Domontovich, Домонтович was a Russian Communist revolutionary, first as a member of the Mensheviks, then from 1914 on as a Bolshevik. In 1923, Kollontai was appointed Soviet Ambassador to Norway, one of the first women to hold such a post (Diana Abgar was earlier).

Reviews

[Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to know how communist women have sex then you should not fail to include this book in your research. Don't let the long title mislead you, however. This is not a contemporary work like Marina Lewycka's "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian." This was published in Russia in 1926, during the time of Josef Stalin. Alexandra Kollontai (AK47 for brevity) was a member of the Communist Party and a friend of Lenin. She had two husbands/lovers who both perished during the Stalinist purges. The first one was Pavel Dybenko, the legendary commander of the Red Fleet. The other one was Alexander Shylapnikov who was the opposite of shy when they were in bed. The couple had a political misadventure which led to his death and she, to her virtual banishment to Oslo as a member of the Russian legation.

The unique thing about this autobiography is that it has italicized portions and a lot of footnotes. These are not to emphasize or clarify things. Rather, these are portions of the original written version which AK47 herself had crossed out in the galley-proof, or had in effect taken back by somehow explaining them away, and all left out when this was published in her time. Writing this, therefore, was supremely difficult. Madmen rule over Russia and if one writes something which they don't like he could lose his head. There were even NAMES here (of AK47's former friends or colleagues, for example) which were in the original draft but which the author had thought it prudent to just delete. Even past associations with the wrong people can be dangerous. Despite this stifling atmosphere and her losing lovers to purges AK47 remained a devoted communist. She boasted of having "succeeded in structuring (her) intimate life according to (her) own standards and (that she) make(s) no secret of (her) love experiences anymore than does a man" but this statement, too, was crossed out by her.

A marvelous exhibition of how to write with both your hands tied up.

[Nathan "N.R." Gaddis]

Alexandra Kollontai had the misfortune of fighting the good fight in the wrong country. This short volume, which includes her autobiography, her essay “New Woman”, and an informative afterword, leaves one not terribly impressed about her literary merits and much more eager to read a proper biography. And as luck would have it, Haymarket Books will be publishing in 2014 a revised edition of Cathy Porter’s biography, Alexandra Kollontai: A Biography, which will be the volume I am recommending today.

Meanwhile, many of her writings, including the two pieces included in this volume, are available (free!!) at marxists.org :: http://www.marxists.org/archive/kollo...

The essay “New Woman” may be of interest to those interested it in the ‘strong female character’ question and to those interested in unEARTH’ing early 20th century literature. But reading it was a terribly dull experience.

[anne larouche · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Intéressant de lire l’une des biographies d’alexandra kollontai question d’en savoir plus sur sa vie, et du même moment voir ce qu’elle avait désiré retirer du texte : on remarque que ce sont les portions qui touchent plus à un féminisme culturel, une oppression qui lui aurait valu des représailles (encore plus) à l’époque. Malheureux, par contre, de voir qu’elle a du les supprimer.

Ce livre était plus un récit qu’un récit avec le pourquoi du comment de ses positions politiques, donc comme introduction ça peut être un peu hermétique (je ne suis pas la meilleure sur son sujet ni la révolution russe), mais je suis certaine qu’une fois que je connaîtrai plus sa pensée le livre m’éclaircira, et du même moment je crois qu’il redonne sa juste place à la lutte de cette femme totalement effacé de l’imaginaire et de la mémoire.

[Dhanaraj Rajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Admission: I am not that acquainted with Marxism, Communism and Soviet Revolutions. I have some basic knowledge of Dialectical Materialism. To read this book, that was not enough. One needed to be well acquainted with Russian History (Soviet Revolutions).

Otherwise, I liked her views on the struggle to choose between Love and Career. A woman is to be valued for the contribution that she makes towards the Socialist Society. Woman's value is to decided by the work she does. But Love, Marriage and Motherhood stand in opposition to such aims. Love and Marriage chains a woman to a particular person and family. Her work remains within that. That should not be. This was her opinion. But Kollontai also admits that in spite of knowing it, she always falls for the love of a man. This has been her struggle, she says.

Kollontai indirectly states that a woman is made for man and man is made for woman. Each one depends on the other. One can not live without the other. This has been the intention of the Author of Life. That is why, He created humankind - "male and female He created them." But she also wanted the women to occupy professional posts like men. That is not wrong. That is equally right. But she placed them in opposite poles - Love vs Career. She never gave a thought to Love and Career.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I have succeeded in structuring my intimate life according to my own standards and I make no secret of my love experiences anymore than does a man. Above all, however, I never let my feelings, the joy or pain of love take the first place in my life inasmuch as creativity, activity, struggle always occupied the foreground."

[Demet · Rating 4 out of 5]

sovyet donemi kitaplarinin genel olarak cevirilerinde aman da stalin soyle kotuydu boyle kotuydu notunu yayimci ve/veya cevirmen dusmese olmuyor sanirim.

kollontayin kendi yasamini ve dusuncelerini daha ayrintili gecmesi biraz daha sevindirirdi sanki.

bununla birlikte bu ceviride dipnotlari atlayarak okudum, zira butun degisikleri dipnot olarak gecmisler dipnot takip etmekten kitabin kendisi okunamiyor. bu kismi bir tercih meselesi olsa da, onsozde Stalin sansurculugunu boyle takip edebilirsiniz notuna karsin da dipnotlari atladim.

mart ayina kollontayla girmek de ayri bir keyif tabii.

[Nea Poulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.neapoulain.com/2018/03/peq...

Ahora sí, he llegado al final de mi pequeña guía para conocer y leer a Alexandra Kollontai (obras de no-ficción, recuerden). Por supuesto que quizá no he incluido todo, pero esto es sólo para conocerla, que les pique la curiosidad. Aquí, sí, como tercer punto he puesto ya su autobiografía. Considero que antes de leerla en caliente, lo mejor es saber desde dónde y con qué postura se enuncia Kollontai. Muchas veces los lugares de enunciación no cambian el mensaje de fondo demasiado, pero sin increíblemente valiosos a la hora de considerar un contexto histórico e ideológico. Conociendo ya las posturas de Kollontai, es muy fácil entender su vida y comprender muchas de sus decisiones, que ella expresa en esta autobiografía.

Además, el libro incluye una pequeña introducción que nos hace un resumen de su vida, para los interesados. Además de la autobiografía, en el epub y en el mobi se incluyen otros tres textos que ya vienen incluidos en el libro que mencioné anteriormente, pero que no está de más si quieren revisarlos: El comunismo y la familia, La juventud y la moral sexual y Opocisión Obrera. Es un libro relativamente corto y muy fácil de leer ya conociendo un poco a Kollontai, que además nos deja perfectamente imaginarnos las aventuras que tuvo en su época. También deja ver a una mujer muy apasionada por lo que creía y en general ayuda a quitarle completamente el misticismo que usualmente suele tener su figura (primera mujer embajadora, una de las pocas mujeres que tuvieron importantes cargos políticos justo después de la revolucion rusa...). El libro lo pueden encontrar, como siempre, en mi carpeta: epub, mobi y pdf.

[Damini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick recap of Aleksandra Kollontai's life and work for the liberation of working women; I also agree with her about the struggle being international, rather than national, in nature. My only complaint is that she left out many details, specially of her role as the People's Commisariat for Social Welfare - and all the work she did to redefine the role of women in familial units.

[Courtney Kruzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick, short read (about 42 pages). And therein lies my biggest complaint. This woman was a part of huge amazing policies and she pretty much glosses over each one in a paragraph. I would have loved for her to elaborate more on some of the amazing things she did.

[Connor B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kollontai's life was too eventful for it to possibly fit into so few pages. Good introduction though!

[Jonas Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25/5- Fands richtig gut!! Während des Lesens habe ich mir schon die ganze Zeit gedacht was für eine beeindruckende Frau Kollontai war und wie wichtig sie für die Arbeiterinnenbewegung war. Allerdings hatte ich mir eine ganze Weile gehofft, mehr zu ihren eigenen Positionen zu erfahren.
Das wurde dann im Nachwort jedoch nachgeholt, was die Autobiographie zu einem wirklich runden Ende gebracht hat.
Manche Dinge hätten bestimmt noch etwas näher ausgeführt werden, allerdings darf man (ich) in dem Fall auch nicht vergessen, dass diese Biographie in revolutionären, aufwühlenden Zeiten geschrieben wurde und es manchmal wohl einfach nicht ausführlicher möglich war.

[Fran Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish it was longer

[Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hacen falta más voces discordantes como la suya.

[Marte Ekker Kristiansen]

Kollontaj var ei dame for seg sjæl. Jeg er mektig imponert. En kraftsalve av et manifest - fordi det er det jeg opplever at denne essaysamlinga er. Språket har en råskap over seg som man sjelden ellers ser i bøker av det kvinnelige kjønn på hennes samtid (av sjølforklarende grunner, åpenbart). Rett og slett forferdelig modig. «Gi plass til den bevingende Eros» er essayet jeg vil trekke fram som hovedpulsåra i boka.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kollontai has been on the verge of being a hero of mine for a while. She was a very active Bolshevik in the period leading up to the Russian Revolution, and she appears to have lived her Marxism in remarkable ways - like pointing out that the domestic servitude of women in marriage can be seen as akin to the oppression of the proletariat and that the place of women ought to be as much a concern as the conditions of factory workers. And being sexually emancipated - not having to rely on marriage for either sexual fulfilment or protection - did bring her some condemnation at the time. But I like the way she discusses it here: she had liaisons but they kept getting in the way of her work!

Anyway, this is an autobiography, written in the late 1920s, when she had been sent out of the country by Stalin... to be ambassador to Norway. As, I think, the very first woman to be received with full diplomatic honours. Not a bad way to get rid of a political opponent. So clearly what she says has a political agenda, but the fact remains that as far as I can tell, she was the first woman to be appointed to a cabinet - Lenin made her Commissar for Social Welfare (I think that's the title; it's the stereotypical role you'd give a woman in the Cabinet, but still, she's THERE and she made use of it and she had long been agitating for the sort of reforms she attempted, so it seems she may have wanted it anyway).

It's a quick read and definitely worth it for people who are interested in the period and the manifestations of early feminism: I read it here: .

[Brett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear goodreads, thank you for randomly not saving my review. I hate you.

Again, briefly--the best thing about this book is the title. It is pseudo-scientific when it doesn't need to be and the prose is flat and bereft of humor. Kollontai was an orthadox communist that participated in the Russian revolution and was a diplomat for the Soviet state. This book recounts her activities though it is told in a way that lacks excitment. It also includes her long essay on the "new woman." This essay basically just lays out her own personal preferences in terms of relationships and extrapolates them to everyone.

The one thing I did like was seeing the revisions to the text after the Soviet censors had read the manuscript. This gives some idea about what it might have been like to publish a book in the Soviet society. The revisions are pretty extensive and sometimes seem to have as much to do with style as substance. Though this was intersting, it's not really enough to justify picking this book up

[Carolinna Victório · Rating 4 out of 5]

Achei que a leitura fluiu de modo tranquilo. O estilo da escrita é intimista e despertou curiosidade acerca de outros temas que envolvem o contexto da Revolução Russa (e momentos que antecederam). É particularmente confortável ler o relato de uma mulher que participou da ativamente da política (e de relações diplomáticas) desse momento histórico. Gostei muito, mesmo o foco sendo a vida política da autora (uma espécie de autobiografia política). Queria continuar lendo, mas acabou.

[Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un imprescindible del feminismo y para quienes quieran profundizar en las carencias de la cuestión femenina en la Rusia soviética.

[Rikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the standalone autobiography sans foreword and additional story, though I hope to be able to read both soon. But since this is the closest edition to what I read--and includes what I read--and creating another "edition" on GR didn't seem particularly workable given the lack of publication information with which to flesh out another entry, I figured I would just mark it via this.

Anyway, onto content (and, re: the most popular review on this, no, this is not about "how communist women have sex"; what a grossly masculine and ignorant thing to say):

What a woman! I find that Kollontai and Charlotte Perkins Gilman had a lot in common. (For a comparative work, I'd recommend Gilman's The Man-Made World.) I read this as part of the curriculum for a class this quarter (Revolutionary Women; it's fantastic), and I was so glad to be assigned some of Kollontai's works. I've been meaning to read her, and I hope to read more soon.

As far as autobiographies and memoirs go, this is very straightforward and, as some might think, dry; there are only two or so instances wherein Kollontai injects some recalled dialogue to put the reader in her shoes more fully. It reads like having a conversation with her in which she soliloquizes for a while but you don't mind in the slightest because she's got such an interesting story.

I feel a great kinship with her, as I do with CPG; the bit on Norway was a treat.

If you're interested in some primary sources on socialism/communism and life in Soviet Russia--and not just guzzling the faux news koolaid--do yourself a favor and read from badass radical socialist/communist feminist women. And no, this is not about The autobiography with all endnotes (and definitely use the endnotes) along with much of her work is available for free on marxists.org!

[Roberta Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Contudo, antes de falar sobre esse importante período da minha existência intelectual, ainda quero dizer algumas palavras sobre minha vida pessoal. A questão é se, no meio de todos esses múltiplos e excitantes trabalhos e tarefas do partido, eu ainda consegui achar tempo para experiências íntimas, para as dores pungentes e as alegrias do amor. Infelizmente, sim! Eu digo infelizmente porque normalmente estas experiências exigem muitos cuidados, decepções e dor, e porque com elas demasiadas energias foram consumidas sem razão. Contudo, o desejo de ser compreendida por um homem no mais profundo, no mais secreto abrigo da alma, de ser reconhecida por ele como ser humano batalhador, repetidamente decidia as questões. E repetidamente a decepção seguia tudo demasiado rapidamente, assim que o amigo via em mim somente o elemento feminino, o qual tentava transformar em uma conveniente caixa de ressonância do seu próprio ego. E dessa forma, repetidas vezes chegou o inevitável momento em que tive que me desembaraçar das correntes da comunidade com um coração dolorido, mas com uma vontade soberana e não influenciada. Então ficava sozinha novamente. Mas, quanto maiores as exigências da vida sobre mim, quanto mais trabalho de responsabilidade esperava ser feito, mais crescia o desejo de ser envolvida pelo amor, pelo calor e pela compreensão. Portanto, conseqüentemente, começava a velha história da decepção no amor, a velha história de Titânia em Sonhos de uma noite de verão."

p.47-48

[Marty Pirri · Rating 4 out of 5]

E' sempre interessante, a mio parere, scoprire figure storiche di cui non sapevi neanche l'esistenza. A me con questo libro è successo proprio questo: non conoscevo per nulla Aleksandra Kollonatj e il suo pensiero, né ero a conoscenza dell'esistenza di figure femminili di spicco nell'ambito della Rivoluzione russa, argomento che mi affascina da anni. Essendomi rassegnata( con mia estrema fatica) al fatto che di eroine nel processo rivoluzionario e nel periodo successivo, è stata una gioia leggere le considerazione che questa donna- è il caso di dirlo- rivoluzionaria esprime in questo su testo autobiografico. Ovviamente però questo non è un testo oggettivo in tutto e per tutto e alcune affermazioni al suo interno o sono state smentite dagli avvenimenti storici successivi o ancora arrivano a fare quasi propaganda per il suo schieramento politico, in quanto alcuni fatti non sono analizzati criticamente né in maniera obiettiva.

[Laís · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leitura inspiradora, devorei o livro em pouco menos de 4 horas de leitura.
É tão leve e tão profunda a escrita de Kollontai, que sinto suas palavras serem faíscas ascendendo o coração com aspirações revolucionárias.
Kollontai foi a primeira mulher da história a ocupar o cargo de alto escalão político, dentre eles o de diplomata.
A luta pela libertação das mulheres estava em primeiro lugar em sua vida, muito antes de amor romântico e obrigações familiares.
Sinto imensamente presente essa voz e essa luta ecoando em minha vida.

"Independentemente de quais outras tarefas eu realizarei, está perfeitamente claro para mim que a libertação completa da mulher trabalhadora e a criação das bases de uma nova moral sexual manter-se-ão para sempre como o alvo o mais elevado de minha atividade, e de minha vida"

[Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

no oblidem que les seves paraules són del 1929, i resulten més actuals que mai.

resulta paradigmàtic com la nova dona que predicaves, pugui remoure i reconsiderar totes mes meves reconstruccions sanes sobre l'amor a l'home. que actual és i seguirà sent.

plantejo si la nova dona de Kolontai pot consolidar algun paper real, si és possible deixar enrere la (inevitable) sentimentalitat de la dona; deixar enrere l'angustia d'ella per ell. la nova dona és un ideal massa utòpic, que no ho puc considerar com un model a seguir, però si a aspirar. si ara ho trobo complicat aplicar-ho, no puc concebre com les seves idees tenien cabuda en el seu temps: kolontai anaves més a avançada que nosaltres, gràcies.

potser em falta més element autobiogràfic: com ella aplicà els postulats de la nova dona? però bé, ja es morbo suposo.

és el tresor de la feminitat, siusplau que no ho descobreixin ells, deixem en les seves paraules el nostre refugi de llibertat.

menys erich fromm i més alexandra kolontai!!!!!

[Jameila · Rating 4 out of 5]

“For it is not her specific feminine virtue that gives her a place of honour in human society, but the worth of the useful mission accomplished by her, the worth of personality as human being, as citizen, as thinker, as fighter.”

“Yet the longing to be understood by a man down to the deepest, most secret recesses of one’s soul, to be recognised by him as a striving human being, repeatedly decided matters. And repeatedly disappointment ensued all too swiftly, since the friend saw in me only the feminine element which he tried to mould into a willing sounding board to his own ego.”

[Gonza M Fontán · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo había abandonado en una mudanza, ayer lo cogí con poca esperanza y me sorprendí de lo bien que envejece, de cómo a pesar del diferente contexto y de hablar de relaciones "entre sexos opuestos" sus abstracciones, sus ideas, sus conexiones entre el amor, la sexualidad y la clase siguen siendo relevantísimas. La escritura además es preciosa y hay un amor (valga la redundancia) por la clase y una claridad en el juicio y en la duda iluminadoras. El capítulo sobre sexualidad y el "amor-camaradería" se me van a quedar dentro para siempre.

[Lia]

"Ma cos'è la solidarietà? È la "coscienza" non solo della comunanza degli interessi, ma anche dei vincoli spirituali e morali intessuti tra gli appartenenti al collettivo. Una struttura sociale edificata sulla solidarietà e la cooperazione esige dalla società un "potenziale d'amore" notevolmente sviluppato: in altre parole, che le persone siano capaci di provare sentimenti di autentica simpatia. Senza questo la solidarietà non può essere durevole."

[Thibaud Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great autobiography by Alexandra Kollontai. The version I read is the full uncensored one which was republished in 2021. What I learned from the intro of the book is that the italicized is words she crossed out by self-censoring during Stalinist era. The working class and peasants/farmers cannot be liberated without womens liberation. This book debunks that Lenin, Trotsky, and the Bolsheviks lead to Stalin.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even the intended 1920s audiences would have found this frustrating – Kollontai's autobiography zooms through her decades of life quicker than a Hollywood biopic. Perhaps that due to pressures from the publisher – the essay that follows, "The New Woman," is far more focused. Recommended only for Soviet enthusiasts.

[Sascha Küfner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Trotzdem wie viel mehr hätten wir schaffen und erreichen können, wenn unsere volle Energie nicht im ewigen Kampfe mit dem eigenen Ich und mit den Gefühlen zu einem Anderen sich zersplittert hätten. Es war in der Tat ein ewiger Abwehrkrieg gegen den Eingriff des Mannes in unser Ich, ein Kampf auf dem Gebiete des Problems: Arbeit oder Ehe und Liebe".

[Fabiele · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Eu precisava partir, eu tinha que me separar do homem que escolhi, pois do contrário (esse era um sentimento inconsciente) me exporia ao risco de perder minha identidade própria."

Muito braba, muito milituda, mas faltou contar a parte do sexualmente emancipada (e ela casou com o primo???)