Growing old in the Soviet Union, 1945-1991

The role of older people in the Soviet Union – the world’s first socialist state – has been largely overlooked. This project will provide historians and gerontologists with access to a rich body of work that sheds light on experiences of ageing in the Soviet Union.

My research will focus on: state policies and attitudes to providing healthcare for older adults; individual and collective experiences of ageing; and the influence of gerontology on domestic and international politics. Older adults and ageing was an integral part of the post-war narrative of Soviet history, and my research into this period will make a distinctive contribution to current debates about ageing societies.

The project will change how historians consider the role of older adults in the Soviet Union after the Second World War under socialism. Knowing what it was like to grow old in the Soviet Union will also inform debates about ageing and gerontology and political developments in international relations, healthcare, science and welfare.