ABSTRACT
The breakup of the Soviet Union and its empire in eastern Europe has refocused international attention on the power of ethnic nationalism. This chapter explores the formation of social identity in post-communist societies through an explicit focus on women in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. The Bolshevik Revolution carried with it the hope for the emancipation of women and the expectation that, as socialism progressed, complete equality between men and women would be realized. Bolshevik women, such as Zhenotdel heads Alexandra Kollontai and Inessa Armand, spearheaded the struggle for women's rights in the new Soviet state. The Stalin period was marked by increased restrictions on women in both the public and private spheres. Despite the Brezhnev regime's attempts to improve conditions for women and their families, the lives of Soviet women continued to be arduous. Communists have argued that the communist regime granted sexual equality, promoted women's rights, and established a social system that protected women's interests.
