The Unmaking of Soviet Life: Everyday Economies after Socialism

by Caroline Humphrey

In order to understand today's Russia and former Soviet republics, it is vital to consider their socialist past. Caroline Humphrey, one of anthropology's most highly regarded thinkers on a number of topics including consumption, identity, and ritual, is the ideal guide to the intricacies of post-Soviet culture. The Unmaking of Soviet Life brings together ten of Humphrey's best essays, which cover, geographically, Central Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia; and thematically, the politics of locality, property, and persons. Bridging the strongest of Humphrey's work from 1991 to 2001, the essays do a great deal to demystify the sensational topics of mafia, barter, bribery, and the new shamanism by locating them in the lived experiences of a wide range of subjects. The Unmaking of Soviet Life includes a foreword and introductory paragraphs by Bruce Grant and Nancy Ries that precede each essay.

Genres: Russia, History, Sociology

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Helene Ryding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great book to read about many aspects of how post-Soviet life was changing in the 90s. But many things have changed especially in big cities and it should not be taken as a description of life now. Many things have got better and some things worse.

There are some bad geographical errors which surprised me in such an academic book: the big market at Gariunai is in Lihuania not Estonia, as the source quoted in the notes makes clear. The mention of Vyborg as being in the Baltic States is quite strange, as it is on the Finnish border.

[风花 · Rating 5 out of 5]

后社会主义苏联的全景再现，作者的民族志与观察比理论探索要好很多。苏联90年代计划经济的崩盘，反而带来以物换物式经济的流行；党国政治的解体并没有带来想象中的政治自由，反而是强人地头蛇、黑社会与“收保护费组织”的崛起（很像刘仲敬政治寓言中的张献忠与中国末日）；莫斯科俄罗斯新富人群体的崛起，靠着倒买倒卖（而非从事生产）发家，挑战与刺激后社会主义俄罗斯人的道德想象与图景，老百姓在嫌弃这些新富人的同时又隐含嫉妒，同时这些新富人也试图寻找新的区隔，从而把自己和“平民”区分开来，例如并不是很成功的企图：建郊区别墅；后社会主义同样是神秘学崛起的过程，例如城市中的萨满，如何为处于转型困境中的人们回答他们关于挫折与不幸的问题………

[Kristaps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just leafed through this book a second time, was stunned by how good it is. The social anthropological approach stands the test of time because it's not so much about ideology as about real people and real things that happened. It's putting a human face on the history, at the same time always giving an educated insight on the general context.

It's actually amazing how underreported the post-soviet nineties really are. It's one of the weirdest, most stunning events of 20th century, but probably some time needs to pass until this is more generally appreciated.

[Belmanoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, which I read as research for the Due South fic I'm going to write in which RayV and Fraser Go To Siberia, is totally fascinating. It's about protection rackets and moneyless economies and all kinds of awesome things. I could not stop talking about this book the whole time I was reading it. One of my favorite quotes, from a mid-90s ad:

"Cactuses for the home: love them, pamper them: they will not deceive you."