Gogol's Ghost

What really happened to Russia following the collapse of the USSR? This book tries to provide some answers by examining aspects of life in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, in the early years of Russia's transformation from a Communist state to a democracy. Rather than offering an account of the political changes that occurred after December 1991, the author uniquely sketches the personal and social dimensions of the "lower depths" of a revolution that produced sweeping changes to the lives of average Russians. Written in an accessible style from the perspective of a historian who lived in St. Petersburg in 1991-92 and subsequent periods, the book brings to life a number of fascinating changes that took place to the state and society. Essays describe changes to the consumer culture and the new landscape of capitalism in St. Petersburg; cultural currents in the city; changing behaviour in public places and the strains placed on the average Petersburger; the lingering tension between old bureaucratic ways and new rules and regulations; and a snapshot of some faces of the younger generation and the ways in which they coped with their new lives.