The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things
The subject of this review is the book “The Things of Life: Materiality in Late Soviet Russia” written by historian Alexey Golubev. The English translation was published in 2022 as part of the “Library of the Journal Neprikosnovennyy zapas” series by the “New Literary Observer” publishing house. The...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Limited Liability Company Scientific Industrial Enterprise “Genesis. Frontier. Science”
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | Галактика медиа: журнал медиа исследований |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://galacticamedia.com/index.php/gmd/article/view/400 |
| _version_ | 1797668961701068800 |
|---|---|
| author | Nikolai B. Afanasov |
| author_facet | Nikolai B. Afanasov |
| author_sort | Nikolai B. Afanasov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The subject of this review is the book “The Things of Life: Materiality in Late Soviet Russia” written by historian Alexey Golubev. The English translation was published in 2022 as part of the “Library of the Journal Neprikosnovennyy zapas” series by the “New Literary Observer” publishing house. The book comprises six chapters, each delving into a distinct aspect of late-Soviet materiality: “Techno-Utopian Visions of Soviet Intellectuals after Stalin”, “Time in 1:72 Scale: The Plastic Historicity of Soviet Models”, “History in Wood: The Search for Historical Authenticity in North Russia”, “When Spaces of Transit Fail Their Designers: Social Antagonisms of Soviet Stairwells and Streets”, “The Men of Steel: Repairing and Empowering Soviet Bodies with Iron”, and “Ordinary and Paranormal: The Soviet Television Set”. Golubev’s approach emphasizes the significance of materiality in analyzing social history.
This review outlines the primary content of the book and seeks to position it within the discursive realm of contemporary social sciences and humanities. It demonstrates that the book’s relevance extends beyond merely cataloging items produced in the Soviet Union. The work aims to refresh social and cultural research methodologies, and its conceptual innovation offers a critical counterpoint to ideological interpretations of (Soviet) history. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:37:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b0c8a407d8841dda0c883c5b7960f2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2658-7734 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:37:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Limited Liability Company Scientific Industrial Enterprise “Genesis. Frontier. Science” |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Галактика медиа: журнал медиа исследований |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b0c8a407d8841dda0c883c5b7960f2e2023-10-02T05:18:03ZengLimited Liability Company Scientific Industrial Enterprise “Genesis. Frontier. Science”Галактика медиа: журнал медиа исследований2658-77342023-10-015331332810.46539/gmd.v5i3.400400The Discreet Charm of the Soviet ThingsNikolai B. Afanasov0Institute of Philosophy Russian Academy of SciencesThe subject of this review is the book “The Things of Life: Materiality in Late Soviet Russia” written by historian Alexey Golubev. The English translation was published in 2022 as part of the “Library of the Journal Neprikosnovennyy zapas” series by the “New Literary Observer” publishing house. The book comprises six chapters, each delving into a distinct aspect of late-Soviet materiality: “Techno-Utopian Visions of Soviet Intellectuals after Stalin”, “Time in 1:72 Scale: The Plastic Historicity of Soviet Models”, “History in Wood: The Search for Historical Authenticity in North Russia”, “When Spaces of Transit Fail Their Designers: Social Antagonisms of Soviet Stairwells and Streets”, “The Men of Steel: Repairing and Empowering Soviet Bodies with Iron”, and “Ordinary and Paranormal: The Soviet Television Set”. Golubev’s approach emphasizes the significance of materiality in analyzing social history. This review outlines the primary content of the book and seeks to position it within the discursive realm of contemporary social sciences and humanities. It demonstrates that the book’s relevance extends beyond merely cataloging items produced in the Soviet Union. The work aims to refresh social and cultural research methodologies, and its conceptual innovation offers a critical counterpoint to ideological interpretations of (Soviet) history.https://galacticamedia.com/index.php/gmd/article/view/400materialitymodernitysoviethistoryhistorical memorytechnologyphilosophysocial philosophypractical philosophyapplied philosophy |
| spellingShingle | Nikolai B. Afanasov The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things Галактика медиа: журнал медиа исследований materiality modernity soviet history historical memory technology philosophy social philosophy practical philosophy applied philosophy |
| title | The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things |
| title_full | The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things |
| title_fullStr | The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things |
| title_short | The Discreet Charm of the Soviet Things |
| title_sort | discreet charm of the soviet things |
| topic | materiality modernity soviet history historical memory technology philosophy social philosophy practical philosophy applied philosophy |
| url | https://galacticamedia.com/index.php/gmd/article/view/400 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nikolaibafanasov thediscreetcharmofthesovietthings AT nikolaibafanasov discreetcharmofthesovietthings |