The Thaw Generation: Coming of Age in the Post-Stalin Era (Pitt Russian East European)

Alexeyeva has done a marvelous job of combining personal tales with Soviet political history in this fascinating collection of memoirs. The result is an unexpected page-turner that provides a solid overview of myriad dissident movements from the days of the Decemberists to Gorbachev's Russia. The story follows Ludmilla Alexeyeva from her childhood, in which she believed she lived in the greatest country of all time. It is clear from the first few pages that Alexeyeva intended to invoke her private life only when it could feasibly add to the reader's comprehension of the historical events and movements being discussed. Alexeyeva the activist is openly presented, while Alexeyeva the person is shrouded in mystery. I found myself wondering if the two characters had become indistinguishable from one another. Although the sheer number of characters mentioned in passing and centered upon is startling, many brief summaries are provided to jog the reader's memory, and the index is thorough. I found the text slightly disjointed, but not excessively so. Overall, this is an effective introduction for novices in the study of the Soviet dissident movement from about 1956 to about 1975, and a good summary for those with expertise in that area.

Explains the why and how of the Russian dissident movement after Stalin's death, focusing on Alexeyeva's personal involvement. It combines the beauty of Russian memoir with light political analysis--all without the awkwardness of translation, thanks to co-author Paul Goldberg's excellent prose style. A must for any amateur historian of this period/people.