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review January 2025

Challenging stereotypes of post-Soviet Russian workers

Review by Viktoria Kobzeva
Soviet panelaks embedded in cloud and fog. The picture is back and white. In the top half of the image only the sky is visible, covered in grey clouds. In the middle of the image you can see the panels. At the bottom of the image the black outline of trees is visible and the rooftop of a neighbouring building.
In The Urban Life of Workers in Post-Soviet Russia (Manchester University Press, 2024), Alexandrina Vanke challenges stereotypical representations of workers, focusing on local communities engaged in everyday struggles. Viktoria Kobzeva writes that Vanke’s evocative account provides valuable insights into the complexities of post-Soviet social life.
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