Social change in provincial Russia: The intelligentsia in a Raion centre

Europe - Asia Studies

Volumn 52, Issue 4, 2000, Pages 677-694

  White, Anne ^b  

^a University of Bath   (United Kingdom)

^b NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

SOCIAL CHANGE; URBAN AREA; URBAN SOCIETY;

RUSSIAN FEDERATION;

EID: 0033909757     PISSN: 09668136     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/713663072     Document Type: Article

References (96)

1. However, see Sarah Ashwin, '"There's No Joy Anymore": the Experience of Reform in a Kuzbass Mining Settlement', Europe-Asia Studies, 47, 8, 1995, for a portrait of a small Siberian town.
2. The fieldwork for this article took place in April and May 1999. I am grateful to the Department of European Studies and Modern Languages, University of Bath, for subsidising the first visit. The fieldwork consisted of data collection in Zubtsov and Tver', analysis of the local newspaper, Zubtsovskaya zhizn' (until 1992, Leninskii put'), discussions with the directors of key institutions and forty-one structured interviews. Thirty-one of the interviewees were women. All translations are my own; occasionally I have paraphrased.
3. The population in January 1998. Tverskaya oblast'v tsifrakh, 1997 (sic) (Tver', Tver' Statistical Committee [1998]), p. 16.
4. Of course, oblast' capitals also vary considerably from one another.
5. See Rossiiskii statisticheskii ezhegodnik 1998 (Moscow, Goskomstat, 1998), pp. 132-133. The figure includes 'settlements of urban type' (poselki gorodskogo tipa) as well as 'towns' (goroda), which are often smaller than places officially classed as 'settlements'.
6. This article is mainly about intelligentsia identity and intellectual survival. On physical survival and health, see A. White, 'Stress and Identity Change: the Experience of Professional Women in Provincial Russia', paper delivered to conference on 'Gender and Health in Transition', University of Cambridge, 15 January 2000.
7. See below for more detailed discussion of the distinction between 'core' and 'fringe'.
8. L. N. Kogan makes similar points about the raion intelligentsia in Sverdlovsk oblast' in 'Dukhovnyi potentsial provintsii vchera i segodnya', Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (henceforth Sots, is.), 1997, 4; as do Z. Golenkova & E. Igitkhanyan, writing about the small republican capital of Elista in 'Srednie sloi v sovremennoi Rossii', Sots. is., 1998, 7. In April 1999 the return bus fare from Zubtsov to Tver' or Moscow was about 80 rubles. At the same time, an experienced schoolteacher earned about 600 rubles a month and many librarians around 300.
9. L. N. Kogan makes similar points about the raion intelligentsia in Sverdlovsk oblast' in 'Dukhovnyi potentsial provintsii vchera i segodnya', Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (henceforth Sots, is.), 1997, 4; as do Z. Golenkova & E. Igitkhanyan, writing about the small republican capital of Elista in 'Srednie sloi v sovremennoi Rossii', Sots. is., 1998, 7. In April 1999 the return bus fare from Zubtsov to Tver' or Moscow was about 80 rubles. At the same time, an experienced schoolteacher earned about 600 rubles a month and many librarians around 300.
10. N. E. Pokrovsky, 'Goryachee dykhanie vlasti', in Na pereput'e (Novye vekhi) (Moscow, Logos, 1999), p. 63.
11. As in Masha Gessen, Dead Again: the Russian Intelligentsia after Communism (London, Verso, 1997).
12. See e.g. A. Galkin, 'Tendentsii izmeneniya sotsial'noi struktury', Sots. is., 1998, 10, p. 87; F. Sheregi & V. Kharcheva, 'Sotsial'nye problemy vuzovskoi nauki', Sots. is., 1996, 1, p. 76; G. Pirogov & S. Pronin, 'The Russian case: social policy concerns', in Yogesh Atal (ed.), Poverty in Transition and Transition in Poverty (New York and Oxford, Berghahn, and Paris, UNESCO, 1999).
13. See e.g. A. Galkin, 'Tendentsii izmeneniya sotsial'noi struktury', Sots. is., 1998, 10, p. 87; F. Sheregi & V. Kharcheva, 'Sotsial'nye problemy vuzovskoi nauki', Sots. is., 1996, 1, p. 76; G. Pirogov & S. Pronin, 'The Russian case: social policy concerns', in Yogesh Atal (ed.), Poverty in Transition and Transition in Poverty (New York and Oxford, Berghahn, and Paris, UNESCO, 1999).
14. See e.g. A. Galkin, 'Tendentsii izmeneniya sotsial'noi struktury', Sots. is., 1998, 10, p. 87; F. Sheregi & V. Kharcheva, 'Sotsial'nye problemy vuzovskoi nauki', Sots. is., 1996, 1, p. 76; G. Pirogov & S. Pronin, 'The Russian case: social policy concerns', in Yogesh Atal (ed.), Poverty in Transition and Transition in Poverty (New York and Oxford, Berghahn, and Paris, UNESCO, 1999).
15. See e.g. T. Kovaleva, 'Rossiiskoe studenchestvo v usloviyakh perekhodnogo perioda', Sots. is., 1995, 1, p. 143.
16. See e.g. E. Meshkova, reviewing K. Razlogov & I. Butenko (eds), Kul'turnaya politika Rossii: istoriya i sovremennost' (GIVTs Minkul'tury, 1996) in Sots. is., 1997, 6, p. 141.
17. See e.g. L. Ionin, 'Kul'tura i sotsial'naya struktura', Sots. is., 1996, 3, p. 33; L. Belyaeva, '"Novye srednie" v Rossii', Svobodnaya mysl', 1998, 7, p. 33.
18. See e.g. L. Ionin, 'Kul'tura i sotsial'naya struktura', Sots. is., 1996, 3, p. 33; L. Belyaeva, '"Novye srednie" v Rossii', Svobodnaya mysl', 1998, 7, p. 33.
19. E.g. Galkin, 'Tendentsii izmeneniya ...'.
20. See e.g. Golenkova & Igitkhanyan, 'Srednie sloi ...'.
21. E. Klopov, 'Iz pervykh opytov issledovaniya sotsial'noi struktury sovremennogo rossiiskogo obshchestva', Sots. is., 1996, 8, p. 140.
22. Aleksandr Galkin agrees that the official Soviet social classification system 'remains an important element in social consciousness and form of self-identification for a significant proportion of the population'. 'Tendentsii izmeneniya ...', p. 85.
23. On their self-identification as a 'leading stratum' in Irkutsk see Z. Golenkova et al., 'Sotsial'naya stratifikatsiya gorodskogo naseleniya', Sots. is., 1995, 5.
24. In 1998: Tverskaya oblast'v tsifrakh, 1997, p. 16.
25. N. Podvoisky, 'Raionnaya administratsiya ob itogakh minuvshego goda', Zubtsovskaya zhizn' (henceforth Zub. zh.), 18 January 1999, p. 1.
26. Ibid.
27. 'Pozhar v Zubtsove', Zub. zh., 16 March 1999, p. 1.
28. Podvoisky, 'Raionnaya administratsiya ...', p. 2.
29. Information from N. Podvoisky, sub-editor of Zub. zh., 6 April 1999.
30. L. Burdina, 'Prestupnost' rastet god ot goda', Zub. zh, 18 January 1999, p. 4.
31. The figure excludes nurses and nannies but includes all teachers (vospitateli) at the kindergartens and children's home. Thirty-five members of this core group, or about 11%, were interviewed.
32. See S. Kotkin, 'Kazhdyi narod dostoin togo pravitel' stva, kotoroe imeet', Zub. zh., 30 November 1996, p. 2 (on local election results); S. Kotkin, 'Kontrol' naya dlya vlastei', Zub. zh., 30 January 1999, p. 1 (on a teachers' strike).
33. See S. Kotkin, 'Kazhdyi narod dostoin togo pravitel' stva, kotoroe imeet', Zub. zh., 30 November 1996, p. 2 (on local election results); S. Kotkin, 'Kontrol' naya dlya vlastei', Zub. zh., 30 January 1999, p. 1 (on a teachers' strike).
34. Interview with radio journalist Alla Ivanova, 19 May 1999.
35. Information from employee of house of pioneers, 19 May 1999.
36. Information from the director, Galina Makartseva.
37. 4178 as of 1 January 1999. Information from A. Khokhlova, Culture Department.
38. See Meshkova, reviewing Razlogov & Butenko (eds).
39. Viktor Gromov, May 1999.
40. Interview with manager T. Sokolova and S. Kotkin, 'Ot zubchan - spasibo', Zub. zh., 11 January 1997, p. 4; I. Zhuchkova, 'Nadezhdu ne teryaem', Zub. zh., 28 December 1996.
41. Interview with manager T. Sokolova and S. Kotkin, 'Ot zubchan - spasibo', Zub. zh., 11 January 1997, p. 4; I. Zhuchkova, 'Nadezhdu ne teryaem', Zub. zh., 28 December 1996.
42. Information from Zubtsov Statistics Department and heads of Schools 1 and 2, E. Silaeva and V. Dzhumaeva.
43. Information from Silaeva, Dzhumaeva, Sokolova. In Moscow oblast' 29% of teachers are under 30 years old. L. Orlova, 'O sotsial'nom samochuvstvii uchitelei Moskovskoi oblasti', Sots, is., 1998, 8, p. 89. However, there are also reported to be serious problems in persuading graduates of teacher training colleges to teach. See e.g. T. Pankova, 'Zhiznennye plany vypusknikov pedagogicheskogo kolledzha i ikh realizatsiya', Sots. is., 1996, 1.
44. Information from Silaeva, Dzhumaeva, Sokolova. In Moscow oblast' 29% of teachers are under 30 years old. L. Orlova, 'O sotsial'nom samochuvstvii uchitelei Moskovskoi oblasti', Sots, is., 1998, 8, p. 89. However, there are also reported to be serious problems in persuading graduates of teacher training colleges to teach. See e.g. T. Pankova, 'Zhiznennye plany vypusknikov pedagogicheskogo kolledzha i ikh realizatsiya', Sots. is., 1996, 1.
45. Only one (of 31) women interviewees was even considering leaving. See also U. Borisova, 'Sotsial'nyi portret uchitelya Respubliki Sakhi', Sots. is., 1998, 8, p. 84. However, there was a greater sense of the possibility of changing one's job in Moscow oblast'. See Orlova, 'O sotsial'nom ...' p. 90.
46. Only one (of 31) women interviewees was even considering leaving. See also U. Borisova, 'Sotsial'nyi portret uchitelya Respubliki Sakhi', Sots. is., 1998, 8, p. 84. However, there was a greater sense of the possibility of changing one's job in Moscow oblast'. See Orlova, 'O sotsial'nom ...' p. 90.
47. Promkomservis builds petrol stations and processes timber for construction materials.
48. It was 178 in 1998. Information from Zubtsov Statistics Department and interviews.
49. Golenkova et al., p. 99, report that in Irkutsk more than 60% of the 'humanities intelligentsia' (in culture, education and the media) considered themselves intelligentsia, as did medical workers. Only 15% of engineers, technicians, accountants and economists classed themselves as such. Around 60% of the latter labelled themselves sluzhaschie.
50. Three local government officials were interviewed: one in the Education Department and two statisticians.
51. Two former teachers, now in business, were interviewed, as was a young entrepreneur from an intelligentsia family.
52. 'Pochemu ya stala chelnokom', Zub. zh., 11 January 1997, p. 2.
53. Michael Walker discusses a similar 'mental block' against trading affecting professional people in Lugansk. Michael Walker, 'Survival strategies in an industrial town in East Ukraine', in Sue Bridger & Frances Pine (eds), Surviving Post-Socialism: Local strategies and regional responses in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (London, Routledge, 1998), p. 195.
54. Galkin, p. 86.
55. Borisova, p. 85, reports similarly that in Sakha only 4% of teachers surveyed had a secondary income.
56. Interviews; L. Burdina, 'Predvaritel'nye itogi', Zub. zh., 12 December 1996, p. 4.
57. Cf. the suggestion that in autumn 1998 (i.e. post-'crisis', pre-Kosovo), every third Russian was 'dreaming' of emigration. V. Averbukh, 'Priklyuchenie amerikantsev v strane vechnykh zagadok', Izvestiya, 30 January 1999, p. 5. Dreams and intentions are of course rather different.
58. The exceptions, in addition to the teacher who had recently been on holiday to Thailand, were the manager in Promkomservis, who had visited Poland on business, and the hospital manager, who had been to a seminar in Israel.
59. One pointed out that the large number of parties was conducive to wasted votes. (Representatives of 43 parties stood in the 1995 elections.)
60. Calculated from voting figures in 'Kak golosovali zubchane', Zub. zh., 18 December 1993, p. 1.
61. Calculated from voting figures in 'Kak golosovali zubchane', Zub. zh., 23 December 1995, p. 1. Yavlinsky supporters could feel particularly frustrated that they were in such small company. In 1993 Yabloko received 3.2%, in 1995, 3.5% of the vote; in 1996 Yavlinsky received 4.5% of votes cast.
62. 'Vybory prezidenta Rossii: protokol', Zub. zh., 22 June 1996, p. 1 (percentages calculated by author). There were 13446 valid votes; 'Rossiya vybrala svoego prezidenta', Zub. zh., 6 July 1996, p. 1.
63. 'Vybory prezidenta Rossii: protokol', Zub. zh., 22 June 1996, p. 1 (percentages calculated by author). There were 13446 valid votes; 'Rossiya vybrala svoego prezidenta', Zub. zh., 6 July 1996, p. 1.
64. 'Tak golosovali goroda i raiony oblasti', Zub. zh., 25 June 1996, p. 1.
65. 'Vybory prezidenta RF sostoyalis'', Tub. zh., 18 June 1996, p, 1; S. Kotkin, 'Kazhdyi narod dostoin togo pravitel' stva, kotoroe imeet', Zub. zh., 30 November 1996. p. 2 (on local election results).
66. 'Vybory prezidenta RF sostoyalis'', Tub. zh., 18 June 1996, p, 1; S. Kotkin, 'Kazhdyi narod dostoin togo pravitel' stva, kotoroe imeet', Zub. zh., 30 November 1996. p. 2 (on local election results).
67. For example, Richard Rose, Getting Things done with Social Capital: New Russia Barometer VII (Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, Studies in Public Policy 303, 1998), p. 44.
68. Ibid., pp. 32-34; Vladimir Shlapentokh, Roman Levita & Mikhail Loiberg, From Submission to Rebellion: the Provinces versus the Center in Russia (Boulder, Westview, 1999), p. 216.
69. Ibid., pp. 32-34; Vladimir Shlapentokh, Roman Levita & Mikhail Loiberg, From Submission to Rebellion: the Provinces versus the Center in Russia (Boulder, Westview, 1999), p. 216.
70. Some did still study in Moscow: the break was not as extreme as that described in Kogan. However, Kogan's provincial towns were further from Moscow, in the Urals.
71. However, deskilling was less extreme than among the migrants to rural areas described in Hilary Pilkington, Migration, Displacement and Identity in Post-Soviet Russia (London, Routledge, 1998).
72. G. Cherednyakh, 'Andreyu Kurbanovu', Zub. zh., 16 March 1999, p. 4. The Russian is: I zdes', na vystavke, vysokoparnykh Ya ne boyus' segodnya slov. V foie tak neobychno, stranno, Ved' dlya Zubtsova eto - nov'.
73. Information from the editor, S. Kotkin.
74. 'Nachalas' podpiska na gazetu "Zubtsovskaya zhizn" ', Zub. zh., 26 March 1999, p. 8.
75. See e.g. T. Lebedeva, 'Vse my rodom iz detstva', Zub. zh., 14 May 1999, p. 6.
76. Anne White, Destalinization and the House of Culture: Declining State Control over Leisure in the USSR, Poland and Hungary, 1953-1989 (London, Routledge, 1990).
77. The competition was for the best 'massovoe meropriyatie', a Soviet and near-untranslatable term, literally 'measure for the masses', better translated as 'public event'. See O. Ivanyutina, 'Itogi konkursa bibliotek', Zub. zh., 26 March 1999, p. 1.
78. See 'Den' Pobedy v gorode i raione', Zub. zh., 14 May 1999, p. 1.
79. Interview with the editor and observation of him at work.
80. See e.g. S. Aleksandrov, 'Pamyat' Mariny Tsvetaevoi', Zub. zh., 24 September 1998, p. 4; N. Savitskaya, 'Rodniki prekrasnogo', Zub. zh., 27 February 1999, p. 4.
81. See e.g. S. Aleksandrov, 'Pamyat' Mariny Tsvetaevoi', Zub. zh., 24 September 1998, p. 4; N. Savitskaya, 'Rodniki prekrasnogo', Zub. zh., 27 February 1999, p. 4.
82. Janine R. Wedel, Collision and Collusion: the Strange Case of Western Aid to Eastern Europe 1989-1998 (Basingstoke, Macmillan, 1998), p. 68.
83. See e.g. L. Rubina, 'Professional'noe i sotsial'noe samochuvstvie uchitelei', Sots. is., 1996, 6, p. 69.
84. Russian research on teachers supports the view that having 'cultured' colleagues is considered to be among the most important aspects of the profession. See e.g. ibid., pp. 66 and 70.
85. When, for example, I requested a certificate from my hotel, the receptionist suggested (quite unnecessarily) that I use my social capital, saying 'Since you associate with the editor, why not get him to write you a "dispatch" (sic)?'
86. S. Kotkin, 'Kontrol'naya dlya vlastei', Zub. zh., 30 January 1999, p. 1 and S. Kuteinikov, 'Estestvennyi otbor v bor'be za vyzhivanie', Zub. zh., 30 January 1999, p. 4.
87. S. Kotkin, 'Kontrol'naya dlya vlastei', Zub. zh., 30 January 1999, p. 1 and S. Kuteinikov, 'Estestvennyi otbor v bor'be za vyzhivanie', Zub. zh., 30 January 1999, p. 4.
88. Zub. zh., 23 November 1996, p. 2; L. Volodina, 'Vybor svoi zdelala', Zub. zh., 21 November 1996, p. 2; M. Telegina, 'V organy vlasti - molodykh', Zub. zh., 3 December 1996, p. 2.
89. Zub. zh., 23 November 1996, p. 2; L. Volodina, 'Vybor svoi zdelala', Zub. zh., 21 November 1996, p. 2; M. Telegina, 'V organy vlasti - molodykh', Zub. zh., 3 December 1996, p. 2.
90. Zub. zh., 23 November 1996, p. 2; L. Volodina, 'Vybor svoi zdelala', Zub. zh., 21 November 1996, p. 2; M. Telegina, 'V organy vlasti - molodykh', Zub. zh., 3 December 1996, p. 2.
91. 'Rezul'taty golosovaniya po vyboram deputata Zakonnogo sobraniya', Zub. zh., 18 December 1997, p. 1. Krylov may have compromised himself by continuing to work in the local administration.
92. N. Podvoisky, 'Za derzhavu obidno ...', Zub. zh., 30 April 1999, p. 2 and interviews.
93. 74% in 1998 according to Rose, p. 1.
94. One interviewee had even purposely broken her television set on the grounds that it was 'unspiritual'.
95. Orlova reports similar tendencies among Moscow oblast' teachers: see Orlova, p. 98.
96. Kogan, p. 126.