The Thaw: Soviet Society and Culture during the 1950s and 1960s

by Denis Kozlov, Eleonory Gilburd

Overview

The period from Stalin’s death in 1953 to the end of the 1960s marked a crucial epoch in Soviet history. Though not overtly revolutionary, this era produced significant shifts in policies, ideas, language, artistic practices, daily behaviours, and material life. It was also during this time that social, cultural, and intellectual processes in the USSR began to parallel those in the West (and particularly in Europe) as never before.

This volume examines in fascinating detail the various facets of Soviet life during the 1950s and 1960s, a period termed the ‘Thaw.’ Featuring innovative research by historical, literary, and film scholars from across the world, this book helps to answer fundamental questions about the nature and ultimate fortune of the Soviet order – both in its internal dynamics and in its long-term and global perspectives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442618954
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	09/20/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Denis Kozlov is an associate professor in the Department of History and the Department of Russian Studies at Dalhousie University.

Eleonory Gilburd is an assistant professor in the Department of History at the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

Figures and Tables

Archival Abbreviations

Acknowledgments

Introduction
1 Denis Kozlov (Dalhousie University) and Eleonory Gilburd (New York University)
The Thaw as an Event in Russian History

PART I LOOKING BACK
2 Katerina Clark (Yale University)
'Wait for Me and I Shall Return': The Early Thaw as a Reprise of Late Thirties Culture?

3 Marc Elie (CNRS-EHESS)
Khrushchev's Gulag: The Soviet Penitentiary System after Stalin's Death, 1953-1964

4 Alan Barenberg (Texas Tech University)
From Prisoners to Citizens? Ex-Prisoners in Vorkuta during the Thaw

5 Denis Kozlov
Remembering and Explaining the Terror during the Thaw: Soviet Readers of Ehrenburg and Solzhenitsyn in the 1960s

6 Polly Jones (University of Oxford)
The Personal and the Political: Opposition to the "Thaw" and the Politics of Literary Identity in the 1950s and 1960s

PART II LOOKING FORWARD

7 Michaela Pohl (Vassar College)
From White Grave to Tselinograd to Astana: The Virgin Lands Opening, Khrushchev's Forgotten First Reform

8 Amir Weiner (Stanford University)
The Empires Pay a Visit: Gulag Returnees, East European Rebellions, and Soviet Frontier Politics

9 Eleonory Gilburd (New York University)
The Revival of Soviet Internationalism in the Mid- to Late 1950s

10 Larissa Zakharova (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales)
Soviet Fashion in the 1950s–1960s: Regimentation, Western Influences, and Consumption Strategies

11 Oksana Bulgakowa (Johannes Gutenberg University)
Cine-Weathers: Soviet Thaw Cinema in the International Context

12 Sheila Fitzpatrick (University of Chicago)
The Thaw in Retrospect

What People are Saying About This

Charters Wynn

“Successfully bringing together some of the most significant new work on the Thaw, this volume greatly expands our understanding of a pivotal period in Soviet history.”

Miriam Dobson

“A very pioneering work in an emerging field of study, The Thaw makes a major contribution to the social and cultural history of the late Soviet period. The essays in this volume are consistently of a high standard, presenting state-of-the-art research on a dynamic period that is only now receiving its due attention.”

From the Publisher

“A very pioneering work in an emerging field of study, The Thaw makes a major contribution to the social and cultural history of the late Soviet period. The essays in this volume are consistently of a high standard, presenting state-of-the-art research on a dynamic period that is only now receiving its due attention.”

“Successfully bringing together some of the most significant new work on the Thaw, this volume greatly expands our understanding of a pivotal period in Soviet history.”

Editorial Reviews

“Successfully bringing together some of the most significant new work on the Thaw, this volume greatly expands our understanding of a pivotal period in Soviet history.”

Charters Wynn

‘Kozlov and Gilburd have edited a fine new collection of essays on the Thaw era in Soviet history… All of these essays provide readers with a sophisticated understanding of the culture during this era.’

—W.B. Whisenhunt, Choice Magazine, vol 51:06:2014
‘The book makes a crucial contribution to scholarly understanding of the Soviet Union after 1953… Kozlov and Gilburd’s introduction alone makes the book a must read…the volume will surely become a standard reference for scholars and students alike.’—S.J. Huxtable, Slavonic & East European Review vol 92:04:2014

‘The University of Toronto Press has done a very efficient job of producing a book that is a pleasure to handle…. It must be recommended to undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in Soviet history courses.’

—Mark B. Smith, Slavic Review vol 73:04:2014

‘The book sets new standards for understanding the multiple developments during ‘The Thaw’, opens new manifold discussions, and gives the interested readers ideas for further research areas.’

—Carmen Scheide, The Russian Review vol 74:01:2015

‘Kozlov and Gilburd are to be applauded for bringing together these articles; they will enrich historians’ understanding and inspire new work on this period.’

—David L. Hoffmann

‘This collection ought to become a go-to source for anyone researching and teaching this dynamic period… It is not only enlightening but also a pleasure to read.’

—Marko Dumancic, Cahiers du Monde Russe, vol 55:3-4:2014

‘The Thaw is an important contribution to our knowledge about the Soviet 1950s and 1960s, and as such it will be of interest to a broad audience of scholars of Soviet history.’

—Alexey Golubev, Left History vol 20:02:2017

“A very pioneering work in an emerging field of study, The Thaw makes a major contribution to the social and cultural history of the late Soviet period. The essays in this volume are consistently of a high standard, presenting state-of-the-art research on a dynamic period that is only now receiving its due attention.”

—Miriam Dobson, Department of History, University of Sheffield

“Successfully bringing together some of the most significant new work on the Thaw, this volume greatly expands our understanding of a pivotal period in Soviet history.”

—Charters Wynn, Department of History, University of Texas at Austin

From the Publisher

‘Kozlov and Gilburd have edited a fine new collection of essays on the Thaw era in Soviet history… All of these essays provide readers with a sophisticated understanding of the culture during this era.’

Choice Magazine, vol 51:06:2014 - W.B. Whisenhunt

‘The University of Toronto Press has done a very efficient job of producing a book that is a pleasure to handle…. It must be recommended to undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in Soviet history courses.’

Slavic Review vol 73:04:2014 - Mark B. Smith

‘Kozlov and Gilburd are to be applauded for bringing together these articles; they will enrich historians’ understanding and inspire new work on this period.’

David L. Hoffmann

‘This collection ought to become a go-to source for anyone researching and teaching this dynamic period… It is not only enlightening but also a pleasure to read.’

Cahiers du Monde Russe, vol 55:3-4:2014 - Marko Dumancic

'The Thaw is an important contribution to our knowledge about the Soviet 1950s and 1960s, and as such it will be of interest to a broad audience of scholars of Soviet history.'

Left History vol 20:02:2017 - Alexey Golubev

‘The book makes a crucial contribution to scholarly understanding of the Soviet Union after 1953… Kozlov and Gilburd’s introduction alone makes the book a must read…the volume will surely become a standard reference for scholars and students alike.’

Slavonic & East European Review vol 92:04:2014 - S.J. Huxtable

‘The book sets new standards for understanding the multiple developments during ‘The Thaw’, opens new manifold discussions, and gives the interested readers ideas for further research areas.’

The Russian Review vol 74:01:2015 - Carmen Scheide

“A very pioneering work in an emerging field of study, The Thaw makes a major contribution to the social and cultural history of the late Soviet period. The essays in this volume are consistently of a high standard, presenting state-of-the-art research on a dynamic period that is only now receiving its due attention.”

Miriam Dobson