Gender in Nonconformist Soviet Art (Gender v Sovetskom Neofitsialnom Iskusstve)

What is gender in an environment where gender identity was barely articulated? How were sexuality, the body, marriage, and the birth and upbringing of children reflected in uncensored art? This book, for the first time, examines the history of the Soviet artistic underground through the lens of gender studies. Using this lens, art historian Olesya Avramenko develops new principles for comparative analysis of the works of Western and Soviet artists, beginning with the formation of a parallel culture in the USSR, its existence during the period of stagnation, and ending with its fragmentation during perestroika. The monograph devotes special attention to the history of Soviet gender policy and its impact on society and art. Avramenko's research is valuable not only for its in-depth exploration of the issues raised but also for its unique material—a series of interviews with participants in the artistic process and its eyewitnesses: Joseph Backstein, Irina Nakhova, Vera Miturich-Khlebnikova, Andrei Monastyrsky, Georgy Kiesewalter, and others.