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In the Soviet Archives: a conversation with Sheila Fitzpatrick
Manage episode 482759973 series 1347853
When Sheila Fitzpatrick first went to Moscow in the 1960s as a young academic, the prevailing understanding of the Soviet Union in the West was governed by the ‘totalitarian hypothesis’, of a system ruled entirely from the top down. Her examination of the ministry papers of Anatoly Lunacharsky, the first Commissar of Enlightenment after the Revolution, challenged this view, beginning a long career in which she has frequently questioned the conventional understanding of Soviet history and changed the field with works such as Everyday Stalinism. In this episode, Sheila talks to Daniel about her work in the Soviet archives, about some of the obstacles researchers face, and about her latest books, Lost Souls and The Death of Stalin.
Read more by Sheila in the LRB: https://lrb.me/fitzpatrickpod
Sponsored links:
To find out about financial support for professional writers visit the Royal Literary Fund here: https://www.rlf.org.uk/
LRB Audio
Discover audiobooks, Close Readings and more from the LRB: https://lrb.me/audiolrbpod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
428 episodes
Manage episode 482759973 series 1347853
When Sheila Fitzpatrick first went to Moscow in the 1960s as a young academic, the prevailing understanding of the Soviet Union in the West was governed by the ‘totalitarian hypothesis’, of a system ruled entirely from the top down. Her examination of the ministry papers of Anatoly Lunacharsky, the first Commissar of Enlightenment after the Revolution, challenged this view, beginning a long career in which she has frequently questioned the conventional understanding of Soviet history and changed the field with works such as Everyday Stalinism. In this episode, Sheila talks to Daniel about her work in the Soviet archives, about some of the obstacles researchers face, and about her latest books, Lost Souls and The Death of Stalin.
Read more by Sheila in the LRB: https://lrb.me/fitzpatrickpod
Sponsored links:
To find out about financial support for professional writers visit the Royal Literary Fund here: https://www.rlf.org.uk/
LRB Audio
Discover audiobooks, Close Readings and more from the LRB: https://lrb.me/audiolrbpod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
428 episodes
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