Description
Berghahn Books Reconstructing the House of Culture Community Self and the Makings of Culture in Russia and Beyond 2011 Edition by Brian Donahoe, Joachim Otto Habeck
Notions of culture, rituals and their meanings, the workings of ideology in everyday life, public representations of tradition and ethnicity, and the social consequences of economic transition- these are critical issues in the social anthropology of Russia and other postsocialist countries. Engaged in the negotiation of all these is the House of Culture, which was the key institution for cultural activities and implementation of state cultural policies in all socialist states. The House of Culture was officially responsible for cultural enlightenment, moral edification, and personal cultivation-in short, for implementing the socialist state's program of "bringing culture to the masses." Surprisingly, little is known about its past and present condition. This collection of ethnographically rich accounts examines the social significance and everyday performance of Houses of Culture and how they have changed in recent decades. In the years immediately following the end of the Soviet Union, they underwent a deep economic and symbolic crisis, and many closed. Recently, however, there have been signs of a revitalization of the Houses of Culture and a re-orientation of their missions and programs. The contributions to this volume investigate the changing functions and meanings of these vital institutions for the communities that they serve. Table of contents :- List of IllustrationsEditors' PrefaceA Note on TransliterationIntroduction: Cultivation, Collective, and the SelfJoachim Otto HabeckPart I: The Siberian House of Culture in Comparative Perspective Chapter 1. From Collective Enthusiasm to Individual Self-Realization: History of and Experience in the House of Culture, Anadyr' (Chukotka)Virginie Vate and Galina DiatchkovaChapter 2. "Thank You for Being": Neighborhood, Ethno-Culture, and Social Recognition in the House of CultureJoachim Otto HabeckChapter 3. Pokazukha in the House of Culture: The Pattern of Behavior in Kurumkan, Eastern BuriatiiaIstvan Santha and Tatiana SafonovaChapter 4. Three Houses of Culture in Kosh-Agach: Accounting for Culture Work in a Changing Political SettingAgnieszka Halemba Chapter 5. In the Face of Adversity: Shagonar's Culture Workers Bear the Torch of CultureBrian Donahoe Chapter 6. Constellations of Culture Work in Present-Day SiberiaJoachim Otto Habeck, Brian Donahoe, and Siegfried Gruber Part II: Expanding the Stage: The House of Culture in Broader Historical and Geographical Context Chapter 7. The Emergence of the Soviet Houses of Culture in KyrgyzstanAli Igmen Chapter 8. Palana's House of Koryak CultureAlexander D. King Chapter 9. Transformations of the House of Culture in Civil Society: A Case Study of Rural Women's Culture Projects in LatviaAivita Putnina Chapter 10. Heritage House-Guarding as Sustainable Development: Community Arts and Architectures within a World Cultural Net(work)Nadezhda SavovaEpilogue: Recognizing Soviet CultureBruce Grant Appendix I: Research Design and Methodology of the Comparative Research Project "The Social Significance of the House of Culture"B. Donahoe, J.O. Habeck, A. Halemba, K. Istomin, I. Santha, and V. Vate Appendix II: Survey Form and InstructionsAppendix III: Questionnaire 1 (Q1) and InstructionsAppendix IV: Questionnaire 2 (Q2) and InstructionsAppendix V: Fieldwork ChecklistNotes on ContributorsIndex