MOTIVE Feminist revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai its transformation.' In these selections fron Alexandra Nodontal s copiou: writings. Alix imaginatively conveyed the depth, the limitations and the honesty of Kollontai's work. The integrity of the translations and of their accompanying explanatory texts enahles us to pay serious Jeminist revolutionary of great importance.
For the influence her ideas had on millions of women in Russia both before and after Since Kollontai's writings deal with the problems of women, their exploitation and oppression under capitalism, and the freedom they must struggle for and realise with the establishment of socialism, they were too embarassing to have any place under Stalin.
*They highlighted the gap between Soviet reality and socialism, and the extent to which ideas on family and equality had been discarded or distorted by the government; in so doing they raised questions about the nature of Soviet society and the direction of Holt has Alix Holt Kollontai's voice, attention to a articles periodicals would disappear along ignored The James to us the West MOLIES that carly proletariat revolution.
Tae appropriation the revolution suggests that the Marxism which shaped Euro- articles pealt social democracy, Leninsm and the October revolution did make genuine advances suggests that though smothered by Stalinism, may well be re emerging in the Soviet Union, and she quotes receht Soviet which discuss questions of morality and sexuality, and link Kollontai's SULLLSE of their Relations conclusions. But the primary power of Kollontai's arguin which domestic economy ments — her vision or a society writing, wage slavery - has been Soviet Union represses movement in ways that are The recent interest of the BOTCHE Kollontai was first awakened in translation been the attempt 10 change relations hetween the sexes, and the types of moral codes that determine these relations? And -the waY personal relationships are organised in a certain social proup has had a talk vila influence on the outcome of the struggle herseen hostile Kollontai entered the Russian revolomonary movement d the 1890%, abandoning her liberal aristocratic family to doso and joining with thousands of soung intellectuals cager to go tion the city pops two populists decades of industrial growth had persuaded revolutionane factory worker really did represent the beginnings of a susceptible Marxist analysis and capable of First TELES 0 Kollontai's life in the revolu tionary movanent were devaled to the struggle against revisionise: the bourgeois of Marxist A vocabulary to discredit revolu tionary strategy. Her first are polemics against "legal Marxism'. As For so many women of her tinie, who come to Mary throwa works of August Bebel, his Worken Under Socialism wa an inspiration to her Ir was Engels' Origin of the Fraily, however, that prompted her to take a more critical women in society In Serval Class Stragele. in Prostition ang Ways of Fighting If, as in all her lemale sexuality 1s considered not as a mere which socialise alone can liberate trom the crippi? effects of the double standard. late marriace and prostitution. She goes beyond a negative positively of socialist freedom. And in urina wamer to join the socialist struggle she spoke of that freedoni not as a utopia conjured up to justify but as the real reward open to womeb who fought with the organised proletariat for social revoluAs an active memher of the Second and Third Latter ANNOUNSH social-democratic parties of KisSe. Cierrans and Finand and a member of numerous women's commissions. Rollan tai was in a position to the doe the actual practice of socialism in her tute. As an independent the Europcan social-democratic movement, however, she was often too isolated to pursue her ideas to their logical conclusions.
Tater generation of reminists can state with certainty that the appression women experience is not simply capitalism. and from that certaiaty grows our analysis of patriarchy. Kollontai had to be more hesitant about insights into the roors of male prejudice', but the conchisions women are drawing from the last ten years of their struggle will lind new affirmations in her writing;.
Alexandra Kollontal. Selected Wotings Trophie with introduction by Alis Hol Published by Alison and Busby at £2.95.