The extraordinary lives of women in Russia get somewhat buried by the histories of men. Icons such as Valentina Tereshkova and Anna Pavlova are overshadowed by dominating figures like Lenin, Stalin and Putin. Women made enormous contributions to the complex history of Russia; in fact, women directly influenced the course it took, as illustrated by the fact that the demonstration of women workers asking for bread was the stimulus for the Russian Revolution of 1917. It’s time that Russian women get their fair share of the limelight.
Alexandra Kollontai may not be a household name, but her work directly impacted the public and personal lives of many Russian women.
After joining the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party on the cusp of the 20th century, Kollontai became so heavily involved in political activism that she was exiled in 1908. This decision allowed Kollontai to socialise with a network of revolutionary figures, such as the socialist Rosa Luxemburg and women’s rights advocate Clara Zetkin. During World War One, Kollontai’s search for peace and order took her to Sweden, but her continued outspokenness saw her imprisoned, somewhat strangely, by the neutral Swedish government.
However, it is arguably Kollontai’s return to Russia during the February Revolution of 1917 which sparked her most revolutionary achievements. Kollontai made history as the first woman in the Bolshevik government when she was elected as the People’s Commissar for Social Welfare, even though she didn’t hold the position for too long.
Kollontai turned her focus directly on improving the status of women with the establishment of the Women’s Bureau, or the Zhenotdel, in 1919. The Zhenotdel promoted the dissemination of knowledge and power amongst women in a courageous effort to improve the condition of women’s lives. Kollontai aimed for the Zhenotdel to engage particularly with working-class women by educating them not only academically but also on other concerns such as marriage, education, and labour laws.
Throughout her life, Kollontai moved from branch to branch of different political parties in Russia. This was her Achilles heel when in 1920 she joined the Workers’ Opposition, much to Lenin’s disapproval. Kollontai was sidelined and lived a life of ‘diplomatic exile’ in various countries.
Yet Kollontai’s revolutionary activities didn’t stop there. As a diplomat, she became one of the first women to serve in modern-day diplomacy and worked her way up the ranks; she was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947.
Kollontai paved a revolutionary path not only for women but for political activism in Russia. Spending sections of her life living like a political yo-yo, she stuck to her core values and beliefs. Since she aspired to elevate women’s status in the early half of the 21st century, it’s important that Kollontai’s status in history is elevated.
By Alexandra Baynes