Men waiting on women’s tables: Gender representation in antifascist emigration in the USSR

Abstract

Just prior to 1917, for many socialists and later for the communists, The Soviet Country was a political role model to be emulated, even in terms of gender equality. Not only did the USSR continue resolutely to exercise this role, but it also harboured an undoubted fascination on women’s antifascist emigration.

Starting from these premises, this essay is divided into two parts. It starts by articulating the main topics of the debate on emancipation. This focuses on the features of the new women’s status and the constitution of a new feminist tradition that finds its legitimacy in the symbol of 8 March. It then moves to focus on the spread and the assimilation of the Soviet women’s model among activists. In particular, letters coming from the USSR confirm a faithful adherence to the image of the new woman which is reflected on the self-representation of militants. Communist and socialist women, who were often unaware of the sentences suffered during the years of Stalinist Terror, enthusiastically inform relatives and friends about the opportunities and independence acquired. In many cases, however, migration led to tragic consequences, and several militants were victims of the Stalinist repression.