‘Rich in empirical material and diverse in methodological approaches, this volume shows how the formative decades of the Soviet society were shaped by various forms and modes of expression, including its suppression. The coverage is very broad – from interpersonal interactions (such as kitchen gossip) to public events (such as religious rituals) to mass communication (such as radio broadcasts). Whether the contributors analyze conversational turn-taking or messaging devices, whatever media becomes an object of their analysis – auditory, visual, tactile, or electronic, the volume is always focused on the Soviet society as a system, viewed in terms of integration and control, power and resistance, authority and freedom. The reader of this volume will have a deeper understanding of how social bonds and boundaries were created during those early decades, and also how their intended and unintended consequences impact today’s social dynamics in Russia. The volume will appeal to anyone interested in Soviet and Russian society, as well as theory, history, and ecology of communication.’

—Igor Kluykanov, Professor of Communication, Eastern Washington University.

‘This is an all-inclusive tome; an invaluable resource for anyone interested in visual and material sources as well as corporeal forms of communication in a totalitarian society. It highlights the reliance on various means of communication in order to maintain control while embracing the sensory and bodily challenges to power. This is an incredibly innovative analysis of communication and media in an extraordinary time and the book will become an instant classic for both scholars and students of Soviet history.’

—Rósa Magnúsdóttir, Professor of History, University of Iceland.

Provides an overview of media and communication development in Soviet society up to the death of Stalin Covers a wide range of media formats, distinguishing between tactile channels and media Surveys the boundaries and flows that structured the Soviet communicative environment

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