Soviet Virtues : The Moral Quests of Children's Authors

Calling into question widely held stereotypes of a so-called illiberal Soviet subjectivity, Soviet Virtues explores the unique role played by children’s books in an ardent search for and affirmation of virtues, rather than an imposition of official values.

In studying several classics of Soviet children’s literature, historian Elena Krevsky explores how children were presented as moral arbiters. These popular children’s stories made the process of practical moral reflection an integral part of Soviet subjectivity. She demonstrates that a new morality was created not by inveterate proletarians or incorrigible party ideologists but by young and inexperienced authors of children’s books. The coming of age of authors Arkady Gaidar, Lev Kassil, L. Panteleev, and Grigory Belykh coincided with the years of revolutionary turmoil. As they were writing in the late 1920s and early 1930s, they craved moral certainty and turned to the ethics of virtues.

Exploring these authors’ practical deliberations renders a more balanced understanding of the Soviet self as formed from within and not just imposed from above. By emphasizing rational moral pursuits rather than emotions, Soviet Virtues offers a new representation of the Soviet moral self.