This was one of our books for a course in the SIU Sociological department. US and Soviet society. ( )

Very good book, 22nd printing (1989) and updated version of the Copyright 1976 original. Very good look at everyday Russian life, attitudes, and changes within Russia in the 1970s-1980s. ( )

"The Russians" by Hedrick Smith is a book I loved the first time I read it in the 1980s. I reread it in the early 2000s and it more or less held up, even though things in the former Soviet Union were changing drastically. It is probably still of interest today because he looks at Russians as people, how they act in public, in private, among strangers, with bureaucracy, at work, at school and everywhere in-between. Smith and his family spent 4 years in Moscow during the late '60s and early '70s. He took every opportunity to meet people and find out what they were thinking, how things were done and he was an astute observer. It is entertaining and enlightening to read, even today. Highly recommended. ( )

Although older, it is still relevant. It is about Russian culture, and his thesis is that what we see under the Soviets we saw under the Czars. And probably we will see under the Presidents... ( )

Indeholder "Forord", "Introduktion", "Første del: Folket", " Den priviligerede klasse: Datsja og Zil", " Forbruger: Kunsten at stå i kø", " Korruption: Om at lave - na ljevo", " Væsen og vaner: Russerne som de er", " Kvinderne: Befriede men ikke frigjorte", " Børnene: Mellem forældre og skole", " Ungdommen: Rock uden roll", "Anden del: Systemet", " Livet på landet: Hvorfor man ikke vil blive derude", " Industri-problemer: Skoro budjet - det er her snart", " Lederne, og de, der lader sig lede: Længsel efter en streng hersker", " Partiet: Kommunist-ritualer og kommunist-vid", " Patriotisme: Anden Verdenskrig - intet og ingen skal blive glemt!", " Sibirien: Højt spil i permafrosten", " Information: TASS i farver - og læserbreve", "Tredje del: Problemer", " Kultur: Kat og mus", " De intellektuelles liv: Øhavet Privatkultur", " Religion: Solzjenitsyn og det russofile Rusland", " Systemkritik: Den moderne undertrykkelses-teknologi", " Den ydre verden: De udvalgtes domæne - de forfulgtes asyl", " Konvergens: Bliver de efterhånden som vi?", "Register".

Meget lærerig murstensbog om russerne i tiden inden glasnost. Revnerne i murene beskrives nydeligt og måske er der endda antydninger af nutidens Putin-rusland som en mulig fremtid. ( )