Soviet But Not Russian: The Other Peoples of the Soviet Union

by William Mandel

Non-Russian ethnic minorities comprised nearly half the population of the former USSR, yet were then (and possibly now) largely unconsidered or misunderstood in the West. Armenians, Ukrainians, Baltic peoples, Slavs, Central Asians, Near Eastern peoples - this book not only has the histories of these peoples, but is greatly enriched with hundred of personal interviews.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Soviet Union

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The loyalty of the non-Russians to the Soviet Union is based on what they have gained, economically and in dignity, as peoples. A U.S. government survey has found that Blacks are currently discriminated against three times out of four when they seek to buy or even rent living quarters. Imagine a total end to that. That is what has happened to housing discrimination in the Soviet Union. Imagine an end to the three-out-of-five unemployment rate among Black youth, the even higher rate among Indians, and nearly as high among Latinos… Imagine a Black governor of Mississippi, statues of Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X on the State House lawn in Richmond, Virginia—instead of the generals who fought for slavery—who stand there now. Imagine the children of Spanish-speaking farmworkers not being taken out of school to follow the crops. Imagine an Eskimo woman as governor of Alaska, like the Chukchi woman who governs the Soviet territory that faces Alaska across the Bering strait. These are the realities of the changes in the USSR.”

An excellent and highly readable survey of the Soviet Union’s treatment of non-Russian nationalities, showing clearly the gains made by the Revolution and the many efforts in the USSR to overcome centuries of ethnic discrimination and underdevelopment, despite the imperfections and contradictions. The book is written primarily for Americans, and helps to dispel many common misconceptions of the USSR as well as highlight what is possible once the multinational working class comes to power in this country—in terms of eliminating racial discrimination, achieving gender equality, protecting and expanding Indigenous culture, and more!