"This lively and often moving collection of essays is an important contribution to Western scholarship on Soviet society and culture during the Second World War. . . . [a] straightforward but lively description of cultural life, unhampered by excessive interpretation or cultural theory. For all those who love Russia's cultural heritage, these essays cast a welcome spotlight on some of the people and pockets of life from that tragic but compelling time." --Canadian Slavonic Papers
"Enjoyable to read and accessible to the nonspecialist, Culture and Entertainment is not only an indispensable addition to any Soviet studies library but will prove valuable to anyone interested in or teaching courses on World War II, propaganda and popular culture, homefront politics, or the interacation between cultural creation and governmental power." --Journal of Modern History
"This comprehensive recollection of articles goes beyond cultural history, and provides an original approach to the study of war. War, we learn, is fought on many fronts, and the cultural one should not be underestimated." --SAIS Review
" . . . takes the reader to the heart of the patriotic struggle, to the cultural and spiritual imperatives that roused Russian resistance." --Canadian Military History
"This collection . . . furthers knowledge of Soviet high and popular culture, and also demonstrates the extremely important role that cultural productions played in helping to maintain Soviet spirits in the midst of the Nazi onslaught." --Choice
"This anthology of scholarly articles provides surprising insights into Soviet cultural propaganda during the Great Patriotic War." --War, Literature and the Arts
". . . the essays here provide much food for thought and constitute a valuable addition to a relatively neglected area of study." --The Slavonic Review
World War II (The Great Patriotic War) had a pronounced cultural and emotional impact on the Russian people. The subjects of these essays range from the Moscow press to frontline correspondents, from entertainment brigades to amateur songs by fighting men and women, from symphonic compositions to revivals of literary classics, and from Moscow stages to folk ensembles on the battlefield--the cultural outpourings in the hearts and souls of ordinary Russians at war.
About the Author: RICHARD STITES is Professor of History at Georgetown University and author of The Women's Liberation Movement in Russia; Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Social Experiment in the Russian Revolution; and Russian Popular Culture.
