Everyday Stalinism
by Sheila Fitzpatrick
Oxford University Press

Much has been written about life in Stalinist times, and while the masses of the Soviet Union are often mentioned as they starve or suffer exile by the hundreds of thousands (or millions), few works do much justice to the life of the average Soviet citizen. Using a number of compelling central themes and a masterful ability to string together a historical narrative, Sheila Fitzpatrick has built a clear window into the past with her latest book, "Everyday Stalinism."

Ms. Fitzpatrick uses a clear, readable style while demonstrating an ability to maintain a coherent structure and discuss an enormous amount of upheaval and struggle taking place in one of the most complicated social and economic revolutions the world has yet seen. In her introduction, Ms. Fitzpatrick warns readers that her book is limited to only Russia, and only the 1930s. But the amount of information she sifts through and renders readable is amazing.

A few major concepts shine through this occasionally generalist work. The concept of blat (the creative use of friends and relatives to obtain goods, housing, jobs and more) and patronage relationships between Party members and the intelligentsia are well illustrated, and Ms. Fitzpatrick offers a clear insight into the struggles of everyday people trying to make ends meet in a time of chronic shortages and irrational economic organization.

Many of her points are supported by citing cartoons found within Krokodil, a satirical journal operating during the Soviet era. While the humorous and surprisingly candid comments from that magazine do support a number of main points, the book would have gained considerably from the strategic insertion of these cartoons; simply describing an illustration of a joke, while helpful, blunts the impact.

Another unique development tackled by "Everyday Stalinism" is the evolution of the Stakhanovite movement. Named after Aleksei Stakhanov, a coalminer whose amazing output surpassed all previous records, the movement celebrated the exceptional workers of Russia and elevated them to a sort of worker-hero status in the eyes of the public. Ironically, this very elevation often caused celebrated Stakhanovites to lose touch with their worker roots as they pursued the education and the material comfort suddenly made available.

"Everyday Stalinism" is not meant to be a paticularly dense or scholarly work, and it benefits from this; while not overly general, or poorly researched, the book has a strong clarity of style and cleanliness of organization that enhances its ability to make history feel immediate. The result is a thoroughly accessible and moving account of ordinary people struggling through an extraordinary period of history.

— James Norton (jim@flakmag.com)