[Fwd: Ceremonies of Innocence, or, a Secret Affinity with

Michael Hoover hoov at freenet.tlh.fl.us
Mon Dec 13 11:23:45 PST 1999



> Alexandra Kollontai
> She never broke with, nor
> was broken by, Stalin once he assumed the power.
> In 1921 Lenin in a much publicized letter to
> Clara Zetkin very strongly criticized Kollontai's defense of sexual
> experimentation and fun, advocating instead a "Soviet Morality" that was
> fully adopted by the Stalin regime and that IMHO is in some degree
> responsible for the disaster that overtook the USSR.
> john mage

Thanks for comments, I generally agree with sentiment expressed and don't wish my post to be construed as criticism. Her ideas and proposals have received neither attention nor debate they deserve. But perhaps you can clarify following:

When K was removed from her position as head of the women's commission (a post she was given only after Inessa Armand, who had been active on women's issues for less time but was personally and politically close to Lenin, died) during retaliation against *Workers' Opposition*, wasn't she also put on probation which would have meant expulsion had she ever again actively opposed party line?

Weren't her diplomatic assignments, in part, intended to keep her away from Soviet Union so that she wouldn't have opportunities to actively support opposition views?

Following unsuccessful attempt to prevent restoration of conservative family policy (1926), weren't some of K's public expressions such as assertion that Soviet state had emancipated women & reference to woman's 'natural duty as mother' inconsistent with earlier views?

re. Lenin, he made comment during speech at 10th Party Congress suggesting that K was engaged in illicit sexual relationship with a previous lover when, in fact, she was living in committed monogamous relationship at the time (gawd forbid I engage in gossip, but wasn't Armand L's mistress?) This was, of course, only one of numerous sexist attacks to which she was subjected by male Bolsheviks (her later denunication of Trotskyist opposition may have resulted, in part, from T's characterization of her as a "Valkyrie"). Michael Hoover



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