Why do Russians act the way they do? This basic question ultimately underlies every attempt to understand Russia and to place its past and present in broader context. The Human Tradition in Modern Russia examines the grassroots dimension of social continuity and change in Russia since 1861, and it reintegrates into the historical record individuals and groups usually under-represented in the study of Russia.Readers will learn about Russian society from the late nineteenth century to the present in essays on such diverse topics as divorce, sex education, drinking behavior, alternative youth culture, scientific study circles, the promotion of Soviet atheism and the cultural revolution, Nikolai Ezhov and Stalin's secret police, and the transformation of Russians' personal lives after the fall of the Soviet Regime. The Human Tradition in Modern Russia is ideal for all those interested in Russian history and civilization, modern European history, and world history.
