Irina Gluschenko Took Part in Seminar in France

Irina Gluschenko, Associate Professor at the School of Cultural Studies, presented the report 'Les Particularites de la Societe de Consommation en URSS (1960-70)' at the seminar 'L'univers des Choses Sovietiques' held by the Centre de Recherche en Histoire des Slaves at Université Paris 1.

The report examines the Soviet version of a ‘consumer society’ as the one that emerged as compensation for the years of famine and hardship over the 30-50s. This society had its roots in Stalin’s famous slogan of 1935 ‘Life has become better, life has become merrier’. Only in the Khrushev era did it become possible to offer citizens certain limited consumer comforts, which gave rise to growing consumer enthusiasm. It appears that the role of consumerism in the Soviet Union was completely different from that in the western countries.

Abstract in French