Hacking the Iron Curtain: A Media Archaeology of the Russian Internet

For decades before the internet existed, scientists, technologists, novelists, and enthusiasts of all descriptions dreamed of instantaneous, worldwide communication systems. What forms such systems might take and what technologies could be used to accomplish this goal were open questions—questions asked by people around the world, including in the Cold War–era superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Media archaeologist Natalia Konradova examines the history of the internet ...