Women, the Bureaucracy, and Daily Life in Postwar Moscow, 1945-1953

This monograph examines the Soviet state's attempt to rebuild and repopulate following World War II by offering to support families while encouraging women to enter the full-time work force. However, combined with the realities of postwar life and broken promises, this program was lacking and forced women to adopt their own survival strategies. The conflict between economic reality and the state's demands dictated the shape of women's lives as they attempted to balance both domestic concerns and professional advancement. This study scrutinizes a society that loudly proclaimed sexual equality and support for women workers, but these goals were never feasible because of the failure of the state to provide the structures necessary for equality.