ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the way in which Russians, in theory and in practice, have adopted principles of Western anti-pornography feminists to the needs of Russia. It looks at sexologist Igor' Kon's work that parallels the anti-censorship feminist project. Reforms of Russian pornography legislation have remained locked within the Classical Debate. One side effect of this is the unrealistic way that women are treated. When they are not being treated as whores by pornographers, they are presented by conservative legislators as self-sacrificing martyrs and put on pedestals as the saviors of Russian men and society. The influence can be seen in academic circles as well. A. G. Donchenko, a colleague of Kondranin's in Saratov, sees the problem of pornography as a commercial phenomenon - an approach adopted now by many Western writers but which was pioneered by anti-pornography feminists. Anti-pornography feminists prefer this approach to using criminal laws because of the principle of self-empowerment.
