Region: Russia

  • Soviet Woman Digital Archive

    Soviet Woman Digital Archive

    Illustrated magazine spotlighting the life of women in the USSR.

    Established in the aftermath of WWII in 1945, the magazine Soviet Woman proclaimed on the cover of its first issue its fundamental mission: “A magazine devoted to social and political problems, literature and art…” Published initially under the aegis of the of Soviet Women’s Anti-Fascist Committee and the Central Council of Trade Unions of the USSR, it began as a bimonthly illustrated magazine tasked with countering anti-Soviet propaganda by introducing Western audiences to the lifestyle of Soviet women, including their role in the post-WWII rebuilding of the Soviet economy, and their achievements in the arts and the sciences. Originally published simultaneously in Russian, English, German and French, the magazine went on to add more foreign language editions aimed at reaching an even wider audience both in the West and elsewhere to balance the Western narrative about the Soviet Union in these countries with a pro-Soviet ideological counterweight.

    Over the years the magazine developed regular sections covering issues dealing with economics, politics, life abroad, life in the Soviet republics, women’s fashion, as well as broader issues in culture and the arts. One of its most popular features was the translations of Soviet literary works, allowing readers across the globe a peek inside the hitherto insular Soviet literary world. An important communist propaganda outlet, the magazine continued its run until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

    The Soviet Woman Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues from the very first issue, comprising more than 500 issues and over 7,500 articles. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization, complete original graphics, and searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    • Product Code: DA-SW
    • Year First Published: 1945
    • Archive: 1945–1991
    • Language: English
    • Country: Russia
    • City: Moscow
    • Frequency: Monthly
    • Format: PDF, article-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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  • Sovetskoe Zdravookhranenie Digital Archive (Open Access)

    Sovetskoe Zdravookhranenie Digital Archive (Open Access)

    Open Access archive of the premier Soviet scientific public health journal.

    Established in 1942 by the Ministry of Health of the USSR, the journal Sovetskoe Zdravookhranenie (Советское Здравоохранение, Soviet Healthcare) was the Soviet Union’s premier scientific public health journal covering issues related to public health, social hygiene, health policy, and health education. The journal regularly published original research and commentaries on the history of medicine and healthcare, the economic and social components undergirding the Soviet healthcare system, as well as reports on and proceedings from conferences dedicated to healthcare and the medical profession. Serving as a forum for public health professionals the journal regularly featured book reviews and bibliographies of latest publications on issues related to journal’s subject matter. Due to financial difficulties in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union the journal ceased publication in 1992.

    The Sovetskoe Zdravookhranenie Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues from 1942 to 1992, totaling over 16,000 articles. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization and complete original graphics. The archive has searchable text and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    The Sovetskoe Zdravookhranenie Digital Archive has been made Open Access and available to researchers globally thanks to the generous support of Monash University Library, with funding from the Ada Booth Benefaction.

    • Product Code: DA-OA-SZD
    • Year First Published: 1942
    • Archive: 1942–1992
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • City: Moscow
    • Frequency: Monthly
    • Format: PDF, article-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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  • Sovetskii Ekran Digital Archive

    Sovetskii Ekran Digital Archive

    Popular and influential journal on film studies and Soviet cinema.

    Sovetskii Ekran (Советский экран, Soviet Screen) was the most prominent film journal in Soviet history. Much more than just a film journal, Sovetskii Ekran was a cultural barometer of its times, chronicling the evolution of Soviet film against the backdrop of significant societal and political changes. Its pages, filled with film critiques, interviews, and reader polls, offer a comprehensive view of the cinematic landscape and its influence on Soviet culture.

    Published bi-monthly, Sovetskii Ekran boasted a circulation of two million copies, making it the largest film publication in the world at the time. It was incredibly popular among film enthusiasts in the USSR, vanishing from kiosks as quickly as it arrived and passing from hand to hand.

    The journal offered an unprecedented look into the production secrets and the creative lives of actors and directors—serving as a portal into the magical world of cinema. The honor of gracing its cover essentially guaranteed an instant following of adoring fans for the featured artist. People often cut out the journal covers featuring popular actors to use as posters, making it a significant cultural artifact.

    Sovetskii Ekran was not just confined to domestic cinema; it also covered international film news. These articles offered Soviet citizens glimpses into global fashion trends and popular Hollywood actors. It even published an obituary of Marilyn Monroe in 1962—a time when she was virtually unknown in the USSR. The journal annually conducted surveys among its readers to announce various awards like “Best Film of the Year,” “Best Actor of the Year,” “Best Actress of the Year,” “Best Children’s Film,” and “Best Musical Film of the Year.”

    Many critics consider the 1960s as the golden era of Sovetskii Ekran. Despite its popularity, the journal was subject to the return of censorship in the mid-1970s and, like Soviet cinema itself, it faced dramatic changes during the era of “Perestroika” before eventually ceasing publication after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

    Sovetskii Ekran is an invaluable resource for academics, researchers, and students, providing a rich primary source for exploring the socio-cultural role of cinema in the Soviet Union, the state’s role in shaping cinematic narratives, and how films were received by the general populace.

    • Product Code: DA-SOVE
    • Year First Published: 1925
    • Archive: 1925–2003
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • City: Moscow
    • Frequency: Bi-monthly, some years irregular
    • Format: PDF, page-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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    About the Archive

    Sovetskii Ekran first emerged in January 1925 and continued its publication with occasional hiatuses until its final issue in 2003. Throughout its existence, it underwent several name changes:

    • 1925–1928 Sovetskii Ekran
    • 1929–1930 Kino i Zhizn
    • 1933–1938 [not published]
    • 1939–1941 Sovetskii Kinoekran
    • 1942–1957 [not published]
    • 1958–1990 Sovetskii Ekran
    • 1991–1996, 2002 Ekran
    • 1997–1998, 2003 Sovetskii Ekran

    The Sovetskii Ekran Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues from 1925 on, including over 50 years of content and approximately 32,000 pages. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization, complete original graphics, and searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    Note: The publication of Sovetskii Ekran was completely suspended from 1931–1938, 1942–1956, and 1999–2001. The lack of content for these periods is not a gap but reflects the journal’s publication schedule during these times.

  • Soviet Anti-Religious Propaganda

    Soviet Anti-Religious Propaganda

    Some of the earliest casualties of revolutions are the ideological and institutional foundations of the political order that legitimized the ancien régime, the old form of government with its established political and socio-economic power relations. Religion and religious institutions, identified by Bolshevik revolutionaries as enablers of centuries-long Tsarist malfeasance, were additionally considered to be obstructionists of scientific progress, veritable peddlers of ancient superstitions. Thus, the eradication of religion would be elevated into policy shortly after the 1917 Revolution.

    Russian Orthodox Church property was nationalized, plundered, and desecrated. Clergy were dispatched to gulags or even murdered. Religious beliefs and believers were ridiculed. Although the destruction of churches, mosques, and synagogues would in practical terms curtail public religiosity, it did not guarantee neither radical nor wholesale change in people’s perceptions of the world in which they lived.

    The matter of changing people’s worldviews, therefore, was left to propagandists and the radically rethought educational system. The result of these policy and educational changes was the launching of the fervid anti-religious propaganda campaigns of the early 1920s and 1930s, which saw the publication of hundreds of books, newspapers, and popular magazines designed to stoke hostility against Christianity and Christians.

    Comprised of 280 books, the Soviet Anti-Religious Propaganda e-book collection is a treasure trove of these early propaganda efforts, containing some of the most important and influential works of anti-religious literature. Full-text searchable and cross-searchable with other Infoteka digital resources, the collection is a valuable resource for historians of the Soviet Union, religious studies, and secularization.

    • Product Code: EB-SARP
    • Number of Titles: 280
    • Years of Publication: 1906–1961
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • Cities: Multiple
    • Format: PDF, chapter-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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  • Soviet Military Posters

    Soviet Military Posters

    Rare collection of 3,000+ posters from critical era in Soviet history.

    The Soviet Military Posters collection offers extensive and unique insight into the Soviet military and Soviet visual culture. This meticulously compiled digital archive consists of a remarkable collection of 3,361 posters, each offering a window into the rich tapestry of Soviet military history and propaganda.

    Published by Voenizdat, the principal Soviet military publishing house, these posters span the period from 1956 to 1995, a critical era in Soviet and world history. The collection covers 24 unique subjects, providing a panoramic view of Soviet military thought and ideology. These subjects range from Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy and Artillery to more specialized topics like Chemical and Nuclear Warfare, Small Arms and Firearms, NATO, Aircraft Design, and Living Conditions.

    For researchers and scholars, the Soviet Military Posters database is more than just a collection of images; it’s a rich, primary source that offers unprecedented insights into the Soviet mindset and propaganda mechanisms. It serves as a crucial tool for understanding not only the military strategies and technologies of the Soviet Union but also the sociopolitical and cultural underpinnings that influenced them.

    Soviet Military Posters consists of 3,361 posters. Of these, over 2,000 have been thoughtfully organized into 420 different Sets (Series), while the remaining ones exist as single entries. Although not all posters listed by the publisher could be obtained, a list of available posters in each Series can be viewed by clicking here.

    Each poster and Set within the database are not just visual artifacts but also well-documented pieces of history. Extensive metadata is available for each poster and set, including English translations for all titles.

    The database features robust filtering by Subject, Set, Classification, and Year, while searching is available in English, Russian and in Transliteration. Furthermore, advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology has been employed to make every text on these posters searchable. This enhances the usability of the database, allowing researchers to delve into specific themes, slogans, and propaganda messages with ease.

    Note: The posters in this collection are available for online viewing only, no printing or downloads are permitted. Print on Demand services are available for printed posters, including different sizes, paper types, and finishing options. Please contact us for more details.

    • Product Code: EP-POST
    • Number of Posters: 3,361
    • Years of Publication: 1956–1995
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • Cities: Moscow
    • Format: PDF, page-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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  • Sovetskaia Kul’tura Digital Archive

    Sovetskaia Kul’tura Digital Archive

    An indispensable source on Soviet and Russian arts and culture.

    Kul’tura (Культура, Culture), as it is known today, is the most important Soviet and Russian publication on culture from 1929 to the present, with reviews of major events in literature, theater, cinematography and the arts. For nearly 100 years, Kul’tura has served as a time capsule of Soviet and Russian culture, providing a unique perspective on ever-changing attitudes toward arts and culture in Soviet and Russian societies.

    Kul’tura was previously published as Rabochii i iskusstvo (Рабочий и искусство, Workers and Art, 1929–1930), Sovetskoe iskusstvo (Советское искусство, Soviet Art, 1931–1941), Literatura i iskusstvo (Литература и искусство, Literature and Art, 1942–1944), Sovetskoe iskusstvo (1944–1953), and Sovetskaia kul’tura (Советская культура, Soviet Culture, 1953–1991).

    The Sovetskaia Kul’tura Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues from all of these titles (1929 on, over 55,000 pages), with an additional year’s worth of content available for purchase on an annual basis. The Sovetskaia Kul’tura Digital Archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization, complete original graphics, and searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    • Product Code: DA-SK
    • Year First Published: 1929
    • Archive: 1929–2025
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • City: Moscow
    • Frequency: Monthly
    • Format: PDF, page-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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    More About Sovetskaia Kul’tura

    Rabochii i iskusstvo was established during a time when artists had relative freedom to create works for the New Soviet man. Artists were enthusiastic in spreading the socialist revolution, and the newspaper at this time reflects that mindset. Art was to be made accessible to the masses. Whether explicitly or implicitly, the newspaper supported writers, artists, and authors who produced works that fostered the concept of the New Soviet Man.

    During the Stalin years, Socialist realism took hold. Any creative expression considered unworthy to support the goals of socialism and communism was banned. Writers such as Mikhail Zoshchenko, Osip Mandelstam, Boris Pasternak, and others were roundly criticized in the pages of Sovetskoe iskusstvo (1931–1941), Literatura i iskusstvo (1942–1944), and Sovetskoe iskusstvo (1944–1952).

    Sovetskaia kul’tura, established in 1953, came about in the thaw of the Khrushchev era. The times changed for the better, but the newspaper still toed the party line. Modern art exhibitions were condemned and avant-garde composers and abstract painters were censured.

    During the Gorbachev era, glasnost created a cultural reawakening, which was reflected in the pages of Sovetskaia kul’tura. For example, the newspaper was the first to report that authorities had rehabilitated Pasternak posthumously and a museum dedicated to the work of Marc Chagall was to open in Belarus.

    Today, the newspaper offers interesting reviews and event listings, often focusing on the cultural life of Moscow and the regions. It is also known for its topical commentaries on popular culture and politics.

  • Social Sciences Digital Archive

    Social Sciences Digital Archive

    A quarterly journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    Founded in 1970, Social Sciences was conceived as a scholarly publication tasked with promoting the Marxist-Leninist approach to social sciences worldwide. Since Gorbachev’s perestroika, however, the periodical’s ideological framework underwent certain modifications becoming a vivid chronicle of the collapse of the old communist dogmas and the transition to new ways of approaching social, economic and historical issues.

    Over the decades since its founding, the journal has become an important and a unique platform for prominent papers and studies selected from various institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Covering the most pressing issues of Russia’s social and economic development, Social Sciences includes articles on philosophy, history, economics, politics, sociology, law, philology, psychology, ethnography, archaeology, literature and culture.

    The Social Sciences Digital Archive includes all issues published from 1970 on (over 6,500 articles), with an additional year’s worth of content available for purchase on an annual basis. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization and complete original graphics. The archive has searchable text and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    Infoteka is the publisher of Social Sciences. For current year subscriptions, please visit infoteka.com/publishing/social-sciences or contact us.

    • Product Code: DA-SOSC
    • Year First Published: 1970
    • Archive: 1970–2024
    • Language: English
    • Country: United States / Russia
    • Frequency: Quarterly
    • Format: PDF, article-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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  • Slaviane Digital Archive

    Slaviane Digital Archive

    Anti-fascist Soviet propaganda journal from the WWII era.

    Founded in 1942 at the height of the Great Patriotic War by the All-Slavic Committee, a Soviet anti-fascist organization, Slaviane (Славяне, Slavs) was a monthly journal that saw its mission as one of “rallying Slavic peoples together in alliance with all freedom-loving peoples to fight against Nazi Germany and its vassals.” The editors sought to achieve this mission by exposing the “predatory and rapacious policies of Hitlerites, their hate-filled program aimed at the elimination of Slavic peoples and their centuries-old culture.” Apart from its anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi platform, the journal also sought to cultivate and propagate among Slavic peoples a knowledge of their shared history, the role of Slavic peoples in world culture and civilization, as well as episodic coverage of the Slavic communities in such far-flung countries as the United States, England, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. In short, the journal became a unified platform for intellectuals and politicians from Slavic countries, with the aim of providing an intellectual outlet against Nazism based on Slavic historical and cultural solidarity.

    Following the end of the War, the journal underwent significant editorial changes, switching its focus from defeating Nazism to coverage of life and culture in the Soviet Union. In the process it strove to increase distribution in Slavic countries as well as in the West, although with limited success. It ceased publication in 1958.

    The Slaviane Digital Archive provides researchers and students a unique collection that sheds light on an important aspect of Soviet propaganda production in a critical period of the Soviet Union’s history. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, comprising 197 issues, 4,752 articles, and over 12,000 pages. The archive features full page-level digitization and complete original graphics. The archive has searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    • Product Code: DA-SL
    • Year First Published: 1942
    • Archive: 1942–1958
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • City: Moscow
    • Frequency: Monthly
    • Format: PDF, article-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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  • Seans Digital Archive

    Seans Digital Archive

    Influential Russian film studies journal.

    Founded in 1989 by the young Leningrad film critic Lyubov Arkus and supported by the erstwhile Lenfilm studio director Aleksandr Golutva, Seans (Сеанс, Seance) grew to become one of the most influential film journals in Russia and the post-Soviet space. Housed on the premises of Lenfilm studio, the quarterly journal was conceived as a trade publication reporting on the goings-on of the domestic and foreign film industries. However, from its earliest issues, Seans set out to chart a more original course, becoming in essence a forum for the discussion of not only the latest trends in the industry but also of film criticism, film studies, and the ever-evolving language of cinema and the visual arts. Each issue of Seans is centered around a particular theme, with content addressing a variety of related artistic, cinematographic, and social concerns.

    Seans took a six-year hiatus from 1998–2004 following the death of Sergey Dobrotvorsky, one of the journal’s key editors. Although not technically in production during these years, the journal’s editors and writers nevertheless continued their collaboration, producing a seven-volume encyclopedia on contemporary Russian cinematic arts.

    Over the years Seans has received high praise, attracting the collaboration of some of the most significant names from the Russian film industry, as well as from the broader world of art history and criticism. The long list of collaborators and admirers of the journal includes such renowned figures as filmmakers Alexander Sokurov and Sergey Bondarchuk, writer and historian Samuil Lurie, literary critic and film historian Mikhail Iampolski, memoirist Natalya Trauberg, and many others.

    Perhaps one of the most unique and endearing qualities of Seans is the journal’s commitment to minimalistic black and white print aesthetics. Despite advances in print technology, Seans has remained loyal to its origins, eschewing gloss and glamour for textured and substantive content, making it a standout enterprise in the industry and the go-to resource for the modern Russian-speaking cineaste.

    The Seans Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues from 1990 on, with an additional year’s worth of content available for purchase on an annual basis. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization and complete original graphics. The archive has searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.

    • Product Code: DA-SNS
    • Year First Published: 1990
    • Archive: 1990–2025
    • Language: Russian
    • Country: Russia
    • City: St. Petersburg
    • Frequency: Quarterly
    • Format: PDF, article-based
    • Producer: Infoteka
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    Journal Themes

    Each issue of Seans is devoted to a specific theme. Examples of past themes include:

    • Based on true events (Основан на реальных событиях)
    • Back in the USSR
    • Sources of the impossible (Источники невозможного)
    • Speak, Memory
    • It’s sad (Это печально)
    • Everything is going according to plan (Все идет по плану)
    • Faust
    • Le tour de France
    • Russian Cabinet of Curiosities (Русская кунсткамера)
    • Utopia (Утопия)
    • 25 years later (25 лет спустя)
    • Fassbinder
    • Ressentiment time (Время ресентимента)
    • 1968 (Шестьдесят восьмой год)
    • Behavior problem (Проблема поведения)
    • This is not a movie (Это не фильм)
    • Safe Mode
    • Hitchcock (Хичкок)
    • F**K
    • Fellini
    • Isolation (Изоляция)
    • Hong Sang-su (Хон Сан-су) Right Now / Wrong Then
  • Russian/NIS Newswires

    Russian/NIS Newswires

    Concise, timely and authoritative news from Russia and the former Soviet Union.

    Russian/NIS Newswires includes several outstanding sources to follow the day-to-day developments in Russia and CIS. Content includes full-text transcripts of top speeches, statements, press conferences, newspaper articles and television reports of the day, from presidential addresses to remarks by Duma opposition leaders, from Foreign Ministry briefings to commentaries by leading economists and other experts. ITAR-TASS, one of the major world information agencies, delivers a detailed account about the events in Russia and worldwide. The Moscow information agency Oreanda specializes in economic news and its services are used by the largest Russian banks and corporations as well as by government agencies. The daily newswire AP-Blitz is produced by the Tajikistan-based information powerhouse Asia-Plus, covering developments in Central Asia. The database also contains limited archives for six additional newswires.

    • Product Code: UDB-NEWS
    • Archive: 1997–present
    • Language: Russian, English
    • Countries: Russia, Tajikistan
    • Cities: Dushanbe, Moscow
    • Frequency: Daily
    • Updates: Continuous
    • Format: Full text
    • Producer: Infoteka
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    Russian/NIS Newswires Content

    Active titles in Russian/NIS Newswires include:

    • AP-Blitz. Tajikistan News: Daily newswire produced by the Tajikistan-based Asia-Plus, featuring reports of various news media on developments in Tajikistan and Central Asia.
    • Economic News/Ekonomicheskie novosti (Экономические новости): Economic news from the well-known wire service Oreanda Information Agency, in English and Russian editions. Includes various economic reports, government decisions and market reports.
    • ITAR-TASS Daily: Daily selection of news from Russia’s major news agency covering events inside the country.

    See title list for information about archived titles.

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