ABSTRACT
In Russian, the noun stroika means “building.” With the prefix pere-, it means “rebuilding” or “reconstruction.” Change the prefix to ras-, and it can mean “deconstruction,” or even “destruction.” Adding yet another prefix do- to stroika results in a term meaning “enhancement” or “completion.” Using the meaning “behind” of the prefix za-, one can create a noun zastroika, that is, the time before Gorbachev, which is usually referred to as the time of zastoi or “stagnation.” Except for perestroika, these terms are neologisms of my own coinage. But even if the words do not exist, a reality did and does exist, and it is to these realities of the Russian/ Soviet and East European book world that my remarks today are addressed.
