Not by Bread Alone Not by Bread Alone Social Support in the New Russia Melissa L. Caldwell UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley / Los Angeles / London University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2004 by the Regents of the University of California Chapter 6 was adapted from an article previously published as “The Social Economy of Food Poverty in Russia,” in Culture and Economy: Contempo- rary Perspectives,edited by Ullrich Kockel (Aldershot, England: Ashgate Publishing [2002]). All photographs by the author, William H. Caldwell, and Sandra L. Caldwell. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Caldwell, Melissa L. Not by bread alone : social support in the new Russia / Melissa L. Caldwell. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-520-23875-3 (cloth: alk. paper) — ISBN 0-520-23876-1 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Soup kitchens—Russia (Federation)—Moscow. 2. Social networks— Russia (Federation). 3. Food relief—Russia (Federation). 4. Poor— Russia (Federation). 5. Russia (Federation)—Social conditions—1991–. I. Title. HV696.S6 C35 2004 362.5'83—dc21 2003014268 Manufactured in the United States of America 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper). Contents List of Illustrations vii Note on Transliteration ix Preface xi 1. Transnational Soup 1 2. Making Do Everyday Survival in a Shortage Society 32 3. From Hand to Hand Informal Networks 60 4. The Forest Feeds Us Organic Exchange 100 5. Strategic Intimacy Communities of Assistance 127 6. The Mythology of Hunger 156 7. Socialism Revisited 195 Epilogue 205 Notes 209 Works Cited 219 Index 235 Illustrations 1. Park Kul’tury metro station 2 2. Hallway leading to soup kitchen 4 3. Food packages at children’s soup kitchen 23 4. International Red Cross winter appeal for Russia 24 5. GUM department store 36 6. Shopping together at Moscow market 43 7. Muscovite sellers line city sidewalk 44 8. Moscow market scene 47 9. Picking grasses in dacha community 109 10. Produce market in Tver 120 11. Dancing in Moscow park 124 12. CCM soup kitchen at Moscow Scientific Institute 170 13. Mealtime at fourth CCM soup kitchen 172 14. Grocery store sign advertising social support 177 15. Aleksandra Petrovna’s birthday party 187 16. Viktor Vladimirovich’s ninety-fifth birthday 188 vii Note on Transliteration I have followed the U.S. Library of Congress system of transliteration in this book, except in cases where spellings for certain proper names and other words have become more familiar to North American readers (for instance, Anya instead of Ania). ix