The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the structures and practices of everyday life and material culture in the Soviet Union and Russia. In so doing,  the lectures also aim to shed light on some of the most crucial historical and societal developments in Russia from the viewpoint of consumption and consumer culture. The lectures cover an array of different topics tackling questions connected to Soviet and post-Soviet production and distribution of goods, everyday consumption and culture of consumption. This perspective helps to unravel some of the most common clichés connected to Russian economy and culture such as the shadow economy, queues and oligarchs as well as it helps to deepen our understanding about the mechanisms of everyday life in under different regimes.

The course is organized in cooperation with Aleksanteri Institute's Russian and East European Master's School.