Stalin's Quest for Gold: The Torgsin Hard-Currency Shops and Soviet Industrialization

Stalin's Quest for Gold is a book that tells the story of Torgsin, a chain of retail shops established in 1930 to raise the hard currency needed to finance the USSR's ambitious industrialization program. It highlights the complexity and contradictions of Stalinism, rejecting Marxist postulates of the socialist political economy and encouraging foreigners to purchase goods for their relatives in the USSR. It also operated semilegally as brothels, inducing foreign sailors to spend hard currency for Soviet industrialization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 348 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2021
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Stalin's Quest for Gold is a captivating tale that revolves around Torgsin, a chain of retail shops established in 1930 with the ambitious goal of securing the hard currency required to finance the Soviet Union's ambitious industrialization program. In a period of acute scarcity, Torgsin enjoyed privileged access to the finest foodstuffs and goods available in the country. Initially, Torgsin was exclusively open to foreigners, but the overwhelming demand for hard-currency revenues compelled Stalin to expand its services to Soviet citizens as well. These citizens were allowed to exchange their tsarist gold coins, precious metals, and gemstones, as well as foreign currencies, for the goods and services offered by Torgsin.

Through her meticulous analysis of the vast, state-run entrepreneurship exemplified by Torgsin, Elena Osokina sheds light on the intricate and paradoxical nature of Stalinism. Driven by the state's insatiable thirst for gold and the people's desperate plight, Torgsin defied the fundamental principles of socialist political economy. It rejected the class-based approach and the state's monopoly on hard currency. In its relentless pursuit of gold, Torgsin engaged in advertising campaigns in the capitalist West, enticing foreigners to purchase goods for their relatives in the Soviet Union. Furthermore, its seaport shops and restaurants operated semi-legally as brothels, luring foreign sailors to spend their hard-earned currency on Soviet industrialization efforts.

Stalin's Quest for Gold offers a multi-faceted perspective on Torgsin, examining it from various angles such as economic practicality, state and police surveillance, consumerism, interior design, and personnel. By adopting this comprehensive approach, the book profoundly challenges the conventional portrayal of the Soviet economy and deepens our understanding of everyday life during Stalin's reign in Russia. Through its rich narrative and insightful analysis, Stalin's Quest for Gold provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex and often contradictory world of Stalinism.

Weight: 28g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501758515