Witness to Disintegration: Provincial Life in the Last Year of the USSR [Hardcover]

Walter L. Hixson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1993

An American scholar's first-hand story of provincial life in the USSR just before the coup.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first Fulbright Scholar at Kazan State University in the Tatar Autonomous Republic, Hixson, who teaches history at the University of Akron in Ohio, and is the author of George F. Kennan: Cold War Iconoclast , wanted to experience the society "from the bottom up." So, during his 10 months in the former Soviet Union, from October 1990 to July 1991, he "went native." Or so he thinks. Like the people among whom he lived, he may have suffered from the defitsit (lack of goods), but with a monthly salary of 705 rubles, which allowed him to shop in the private sector, and with his American passport, which permitted him to jump to the front of the queues at the state stores, he was less taxed than his colleagues, whose monthly salaries averaged 300 rubles. Hixson's biggest problem, however, seems to have been with women. As he tells it, he had a dreadful time disengaging from female pursuers who viewed him as a ticket to the West. Sounding smug and self-congratulatory, Hixson remains self-absorbed throughout this memoir, even as he discusses rationing, the people's turn toward religion and the racism he found.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Hixson (history, Univ. of Akron) spent ten months from September 1990 until July 1991 as a Fulbright scholar at Kazan State University, located 450 miles east of Moscow in the Tatar Autonomous Republic. This nonacademic account of his experiences in the Soviet Union is full of familiar stories of the petty Soviet bureaucracy, the hazards of communal apartments, and the agonies of standing in endless lines to obtain the daily necessities. Upon his arrival, Hixson could see that the country was in complete disarray and could sense the deperation of the people: the elaborate Lenin Museum in Kazan was virtually empty every day, while the lines at McDonald's stretched as far as the eye could see. Throughout his year, he met many Soviets who displayed both the best (sharing in adversity) and worst (seeing him as a ticket to America) sides of the Russian character. Recommended for general international affairs collections.
- Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: UPNE (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874516188
• ISBN-13: 978-0874516180
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,226,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - For everyone with a curiosity of how others live, May 3, 2000

By 

Sandy Kain (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witness to Disintegration: Provincial Life in the Last Year of the USSR (Hardcover)

The author shares his experiences of living in provincial USSR prior to the country's collapse. His writings use enough color and detail to help you explore the country along side him. Even when the author describes the living conditions of the Soviet people, you are left feeling that his impressions are real, personal and honest; yet never over-dramatized.

Whether the reader is interested in the USSR or not (I was not particularly), you will enjoy the adventure. I was particularly impressed how open the Soviet people were and how welcoming of strangers. I suspect that a visitor to the US would not enjoy such hospitality.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness to Disintegration, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Witness to Disintegration: Provincial Life in the Last Year of the USSR (Hardcover)

An incredibly witty, lighthearted look at life of Dr. Walter Hixson, in Kazan in the former USSR. Dr. Hixson, a history Professor at the University of Akron, Ohio, spent 10 months living "native" in Kazan and writes about his life there. This book is full of anecdotes, giving the reader a true look through "western" eyes at life in the east. This book is an easy read, hard to put down and one you just don't want to finish....much like Dr. Hixson's lectures on U.S. History!