In a new book, journalist Julia Ioffe examines Russia's turbulent history through the stories of its women, from revolutionary figures to her own family. 'Motherland' argues that the treatment of women reveals the true nature of a country.
Ioffe, who emigrated from the Soviet Union to the US aged seven, blends memoir with historical analysis. She highlights how her own ancestors—doctors, chemists, and engineers—were considered ordinary in the USSR, yet would be exceptional elsewhere. The book asks how a nation that produced such women became the Russia of today.
The narrative spans from pre-revolutionary times to the present, featuring figures like Alexandra Kollontai, Nadezhda Krupskaya, and Yulia Navalnaya. Ioffe notes that women made up 40% of the workforce during the 1917 revolution, and later, thousands were arrested as 'wives of traitors' under Stalin.
Ioffe writes with warmth and precision, weaving personal details into broader historical insights. Her grandmother Emma, for instance, recalled avoiding the home of Stalin's henchman Lavrentiy Beria, a notorious rapist. Today, Emma cannot be buried in Russia due to safety concerns for the family.
The book serves as a gender-focused primer on Russian history, complementing works like Olia Hercules's 'Strong Memoir'. Ioffe's father's warning that Russia is 'a country without a future' resonates, yet she still dreams of the Moscow of her childhood. 'Motherland' is a brilliant explanation of how Russia arrived at its current state.
