The Brian Lehrer Show Russia and Feminism
Oct 24, 2025
Julia Ioffe, a journalist and founding partner at Puck, dives into the rich feminist history of Russia in her new book, *Motherland*. She reveals how Soviet policies initially boosted women's roles in professions like medicine and STEM, while discussing early Bolshevik reforms that aimed for gender equality. Ioffe also examines Putin's adoption of traditional gender roles and anti-LGBTQ policies. With insights on gender dynamics, Soviet failures, and contemporary reactions to the war in Ukraine, this conversation sheds light on the complexities of Russian feminism today.
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Family Of Generations In Medicine
- Julia Ioffe describes four generations of women doctors and scientists in her family.
- She contrasts that with American listeners' surprise, explaining it was common in the Soviet context.
Radical Early Soviet Gender Program
- The Bolsheviks aimed to remake society so women worked and childrearing was collectivized.
- Early Soviet policy granted sweeping rights like paid maternity leave, free higher education, and legalized abortion in 1918.
Promises Broken By State Priorities
- The state promised collective supports but prioritized rapid industrialization and war.
- Men dominated power, women kept working without the nurseries, laundromats, or cafeterias promised to them.
