Leiden University Student Repository

Terbijhe, Noraly (2020)

Outraging the People by Stepping out of the Shadows: Gender roles, the ‘feminine ideal’ and gender discourse in the Soviet Union and Raisa Gorbacheva, the Soviet Union’s only First Lady

Master thesis | Russian and Eurasian Studies (MA)

First Ladies are often misunderstood, in particular those of the Soviet era. This thesis focusses on the life of Raisa Gorbacheva, the only First Lady the Soviet Union ever knew, her life before and after becoming the First Lady and the ways in which she was percieved. Whereas Gorbacheva was loved in the West, she was hated by her own people. This phenomenon is explained through an extensive analysis of the dominant feminine ideal throughout the Soviet period.

Soviet Union

Women's Studies

Raisa Gorbacheva

Author

Terbijhe, Noraly

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

MA Russian and Eurasian Studies

Supervisors

Kern, J.H.C.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en