Private Life, Public Action

Private Life, Public Action: How Housing Politics Mobilized Citizens in Moscow examines the intersection of housing, politics, and citizenship in contemporary Russia.

Anna Zhelnina develops the concept of “housing strategies” to explain how residents’ debates with their neighbors about housing were shaped by their private life strategies.

The book traces how residents impacted by the relocation plan became activists despite having little to no experience organizing or even forming political affiliations and opinions.

It details the ways in which neighbors engaged in collective action, as well as the individual and structural changes these interactions caused.

Zhelnina applies her findings about housing in Moscow to ongoing questions about political mobilization, demonstrating how public engagement is shaped by historical and social contexts.