Building Stalinism - The Moscow Canal and the Creation of Soviet Space (Paperback)

Today the 80-mile-long Moscow Canal is a source of leisure for Muscovites, a conduit for tourists and provides the city with more than 60% of its potable water. Yet the past looms heavy over these quotidian activities: the canal was built by Gulag inmates at the height of Stalinism and thousands died in the process. In this wide-ranging book, Cynthia Ruder argues that the construction of the canal physically manifests Stalinist ideology and that the vertical, horizontal, underwater, ideological, artistic and metaphorical spaces created by it resonate with the desire of the state to dominate all space within and outside the Soviet Union. Ruder draws on theoretical constructs from cultural geography and spatial studies to interpret and contextualise a variety of structural and cultural products dedicated to, and in praise of, this signature Stalinist construction project. Approached through an extensive range of archival sources, personal interviews and contemporary documentary materials these include a diverse body of artefacts - from waterways, structures, paintings, sculptures, literary and documentary works, and the Gulag itself. Building Stalinism concludes by analysing current efforts to reclaim the legacy of the canal as a memorial space that ensures that those who suffered and died building it are remembered. This is essential reading for all scholars working on the all-pervasive nature of Stalinism and its complex afterlife in Russia today.

General

Imprint:	Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	Library of Modern Russia
Release date:	July 2019
Authors:	Cynthia A. Ruder
Dimensions:	216 x 153mm (L x W)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	352
ISBN-13:	978-1-83860-027-3
Categories:	Books > Earth & environment > Geography > Historical geography Books > Arts & Architecture > History of art / art & design styles > From 1900 > General Books > Arts & Architecture > Architecture > Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc > Memorials, monuments Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Films, cinema > General Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > General Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > General Books > Humanities > History > European history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > General Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political ideologies > Marxism & Communism Books > History > European history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Promotions
LSN:	1-83860-027-2
Barcode:	9781838600273

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!