Orvar Löfgren
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520217676
- eISBN:
- 9780520928992
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520217676.003.0005
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Anthropology, Global
This chapter discusses cottage culture, which allowed aristocrats to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life in major urban centers. It first studies the European experience of colonizing the ...
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This chapter discusses cottage culture, which allowed aristocrats to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life in major urban centers. It first studies the European experience of colonizing the seaside, and then looks at the ways summer communities developed along the Swedish west coast. The chapter also discusses the rituals and routines of summer cottage life as it changed on both sides of the Atlantic.Less
This chapter discusses cottage culture, which allowed aristocrats to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life in major urban centers. It first studies the European experience of colonizing the seaside, and then looks at the ways summer communities developed along the Swedish west coast. The chapter also discusses the rituals and routines of summer cottage life as it changed on both sides of the Atlantic.
Melissa L. Caldwell
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520262843
- eISBN:
- 9780520947870
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520262843.003.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, European Cultural Anthropology
Visiting the dacha, or summer cottage, is one activity that stands out among the multitude of possible leisure pursuits, which is perhaps the most recognizable aspect of Russian summer culture. ...
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Visiting the dacha, or summer cottage, is one activity that stands out among the multitude of possible leisure pursuits, which is perhaps the most recognizable aspect of Russian summer culture. Dachas encapsulate and project the country's social history and heritage in ways that are intimately familiar to people across Russia and across generations. Dacha life, and the natural settings and qualities with which it is linked, are both microcosms of and conduits for fundamental issues in today's Russia: the politics of national identity and nationalism, the transition to capitalism, projects of social transformation, and the legacies of socialism, among others. The dachniki described in this book represent a broad cross-section of Russian society in terms of their social, economic, and demographic diversity. This chapter provides an overview of the chapters included in the book.Less
Visiting the dacha, or summer cottage, is one activity that stands out among the multitude of possible leisure pursuits, which is perhaps the most recognizable aspect of Russian summer culture. Dachas encapsulate and project the country's social history and heritage in ways that are intimately familiar to people across Russia and across generations. Dacha life, and the natural settings and qualities with which it is linked, are both microcosms of and conduits for fundamental issues in today's Russia: the politics of national identity and nationalism, the transition to capitalism, projects of social transformation, and the legacies of socialism, among others. The dachniki described in this book represent a broad cross-section of Russian society in terms of their social, economic, and demographic diversity. This chapter provides an overview of the chapters included in the book.
Melissa Caldwell
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520262843
- eISBN:
- 9780520947870
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520262843.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, European Cultural Anthropology
This book is a lively account of dacha life and how Russians experience this deeply rooted tradition of the summer cottage amid the changing cultural, economic, and political landscape of ...
More
This book is a lively account of dacha life and how Russians experience this deeply rooted tradition of the summer cottage amid the changing cultural, economic, and political landscape of postsocialist Russia. Simultaneously beloved and reviled, dachas wield a power that makes owning and caring for them an essential part of life. The book captures the their abiding traditions and demonstrates why Russians insist that these dwellings are key to understanding Russian life. It draws on literary texts as well as observations from dacha dwellers to highlight this enduring fact of Russian culture at a time when so much has changed. The book presents the dacha world in all its richness and complexity—a “good life” that draws inspiration from the natural environment in which it is situated.Less
This book is a lively account of dacha life and how Russians experience this deeply rooted tradition of the summer cottage amid the changing cultural, economic, and political landscape of postsocialist Russia. Simultaneously beloved and reviled, dachas wield a power that makes owning and caring for them an essential part of life. The book captures the their abiding traditions and demonstrates why Russians insist that these dwellings are key to understanding Russian life. It draws on literary texts as well as observations from dacha dwellers to highlight this enduring fact of Russian culture at a time when so much has changed. The book presents the dacha world in all its richness and complexity—a “good life” that draws inspiration from the natural environment in which it is situated.
