Russian Feminism
Booklet describing the Russian samzidat publication Women in Russia and the women behind it
This booklet (left) describes the history and background of the Women in Russia publication and the women behind it. Mainstream feminism in the 1970s privileged western colonial narratives in the discussion of women’s history, but feminism was present beyond the west. The first edition of Almanach, a clandestine, collectively produced Russian journal, was titled Women in Russia. Contributors noticed the unequal treatment of women in a Communist society that was purportedly equal. Editors Tatiana Mamonova, Tatiana Goricheva, Natalia Malakhovskaya and Julia Voznesenskaya wanted to address the “unique psychological burdens, low wages, and family responsibilities'' that were placed on women (Pardini, 2020). The women behind the samzidat publication were exiled from the then Soviet Union after Women in Russia was published.
The issue contained poetry, illustrations and articles that were critical of the status of women in the Soviet Union. They were concerned with the role of women in family responsibilities against the pressure to work, their substandard health care, and the double burden of motherhood while working. They challenged the authority of the male-dominated dissident community who resisted a feminist journal and feminist issues (Pardini, 2020).
Ms. Magazine exposed the west to Russian feminist work in this 1980s issue (left). Ms. Magazine was founded by Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pittman Hughes (Britiannica, 1999). Ms. Magazine provided feminist news and information, content that was radically different from contemporary magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal. This magazine assumed its readers wanted more than just recipes and household hints (Pogrebin, 2011).
The Russian feminist Mamonova toured Canada and the world shortly after (Rowan, 1981). One of her first stops was in Edmonton, where she appeared as part of the International Women’s Day celebration and marches (Stankovich, 1981). She said "This is the first women's demonstration I've been to," she explained, "and it's not at all like the parades we have in the Soviet Union." (Stankovich, 1981). The booklet is undated, however, the last page describes the upcoming Mamonova tour in Canada.
References
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, May 16). Ms. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ms
Good2gopetr. (2023). 1980 NOVEMBER MS. MAGAZINE - FIRST FEMINIST EXILES FROM THE U.S.S.R [Screenshot]. https://www.ebay.com/itm/255826713271
Pardini, V. (2020, October 28). Soviet feminist dissidents and the Western narrative about them. Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/soviet-feminist-dissidents-and-western-narrative-about-them
Pogrebin, A. (2011, October, 28). How do you spell Ms. New York Magazine. https://nymag.com/news/features/ms-magazine-2011-11/
Rowan, R. (1981, March21) Tatiana Mamonova: Pour une international feministe. Le Devoir. Vol LXXII no 67. https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2769065
Stankovich, K. (1981, March). Women rally for women’s rights: Russian feminist visits Edmonton. Student/Студент. Volume 13, no 6 P 1 https://susk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/STUDENT-1981-March.pdf