Elena Osokina

Elena Aleksandrovna Osokina (born in 1959, Podolsk, Russia) is a Russian historian.

Education

Elena Aleksandrovna Osokina earned her B.A. and M.A. in 1981, and her Ph.D. in 1987, all from Moscow State University.

Writing

Osokina's first book, "Hierarchy of Consumption: Life Under the Stalinist Rationing System] 1928-1935" was released in 1993 in Russia.

In 1998, ROSSPEN published her second book "Za fasadom “Stalinskogo izobilia”: Raspredelenie i rynok v snabzhenii naselenia v gody industrializatsii, 1927-1941". In 2001, M.E. Sharpe Publisher translated this book into English and published it under the title "Our Daily Bread: Socialist Distribution and the Art of Survival in Stalin’s Russia, 1927-1941".

National Endowment for the Humanities

In 2005, Osokina was granted the National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship to finish her work on her upcoming book "Torgsin", which "reveals the unknown story of Soviet industrialization and everyday life by exploring the role of the state stores, Torgsin (1931-36), which during the lean years of Stalin’s industrialization sold food and goods to the Soviet people at inflated prices in exchange for foreign currency, gold, silver and diamonds. Torgsin became an important source of gold for Stalin to finance industrialization and the major strategy for survival for people during those harsh times. The study enriches our understanding of Stalinism, the workings of the Soviet economy, the nature of Soviet everyday life and consumerism."Fact|date=April 2007

Teaching

Elena Aleksandrovna Osokina is is currently Professor of Russian history at the University of South Carolina.

External links

* [http://www.cas.sc.edu/HIST/Faculty/osokina.html USC College of Arts and Sciences, History Faculty: Elena Aleksandrovna Osokina]