The Hazards of Urban Life in Late Stalinist Russia

Health, Hygiene, and Living Standards, 1943–1953

Donald Filtzer author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:6th May '10

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The Hazards of Urban Life in Late Stalinist Russia cover

The first detailed study of the standard of living of ordinary Russians following World War II examines urban living conditions under the Stalinist regime, tracing how the absence of an adequate urban infrastructure affected peoples' daily lives and the relationship between the Stalinist regime and the Russian people.This is the first detailed study of the standard of living of ordinary Russians following World War II. It examines urban living conditions under the Stalinist regime with a focus on the key issues of sanitation, access to safe water supplies, personal hygiene and anti-epidemic controls, diet and nutrition, and infant mortality. Comparing five key industrial regions, it shows that living conditions lagged some fifty years behind Western European norms. The book reveals that, despite this, the years preceding Stalin's death saw dramatic improvements in mortality rates thanks to the application of rigorous public health controls and Western medical innovations. While tracing these changes, the book also analyzes the impact that the absence of an adequate urban infrastructure had on people's daily lives and on the relationship between the Stalinist regime and the Russian people, and, finally, how the Soviet experience compared to that of earlier industrializing societies.

'… there is a magnificence about Filtzer's achievement in The Hazards of Urban Life [in Late Stalinist Russia]. Most of its empirical detail, and many of its conclusions, cannot be challenged. It stands right at the front of writing on late Stalinism …' Reviews in History (history.ac.uk/reviews)
'This detailed monograph is highly recommended for specialists in late Stalinism and Soviet society more generally. The amount of data presented in 48 figures, 42 tables, and the text itself is prodigious. The analysis is clear and the consistent comparative focus thought-provoking.' Mark Edele, The Russian Review
'… powerful … a rich and thought-provoking study.' Julie Hessler, Journal of Cold War Studies

ISBN: 9780521113731

Dimensions: 235mm x 160mm x 25mm

Weight: 790g

410 pages