Russian Utopia: A Century of Revolutionary Possibilities

by Mark D. Steinberg, Eugene M. Avrutin (Editor), Stephen M. Norris (Editor)

Mark D. Steinberg explores the work of individuals he recognizes as utopians during the most dramatic period in Russian and Soviet history. It has long been a cliché to argue that Russian revolutionary movements have been inspired by varieties of 'utopian dreaming' – claims which, although not wrong, are too often used uncritically. For the first time, Russian Utopian digs deeper and asks what utopians meant at the level of ideas, emotions, and lived experience.

Despite the fact that many would have resisted the 'utopian' label at the time because of its dismissive meanings, Steinberg's comprehensive approach sees him take in political leaders, intellectuals, writers, and artists (visual, material, and musical), as well as workers, peasants, soldiers, students and others. Ideologically, the figures discussed range from reactionaries to anarchists, nationalists (including non-Russians) to feminists, both religious believers and 'the militant godless'. This innovative text dissects the very notion of the Russian utopian and examines its significance in its various fascinating contexts.

Genres: Soviet Union

152 pages, Hardcover

Published October 21, 2021

About the author

A specialist on the cultural, intellectual, and social history of Russia and the Soviet Union in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Mark D. Steinberg is professor of history at the University of Illinois.

Reviews

[Barry Smirnoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

In view of the 2022-23 Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory, Russianists feel the need to explain their motivations. Steinberg had done this by surveying Russian history and finding themes that he terms Utopian dreams in the harsh reality of everyday life. This is interesting and the marshaling of examples makes the thesis available to non specialists. It is part of the Russian Shorts series that is “meant to stimulate conversation” about Russian history and culture that has not been well understood.

[Dimitrii Ivanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and well-designed - as an overview and a taster rather than an exhaustive, heavy compendium. "A century" in the title misleads a little, as the temporal scope covers period from Petrine Empire to Stalinism, with a particular focus on the early 20th century, but the concepts are well chosen, and brevity doesn't preclude depth of discussion.