Building That Bright Future: Soviet Karelia in the Life Writing of Finnish North Americans

Samira Saramo

Published by University of Toronto Press 2022

Building That Bright Future

Soviet Karelia in the Life Writing of Finnish North Americans

Samira Saramo

https://doi.org/10.3138/9781487530921

Overview
Contents

About this book

Building that Bright Future examines letters and memoirs of Finnish North Americans to provide a rare glimpse of daily life in the 1930s from the edge of the Soviet Union.

Author / Editor information

Saramo Samira :

Samira Saramo is a Kone Foundation Senior Researcher at the Migration Institute of Finland.

Reviews

Charlotte Gray:

"Saramo’s scrupulous respect for these hitherto buried voices has real value."

Franca Iacovetta, Professor Emerita of History, University of Toronto:

"A moving story of hope, daily life, community, terror, and tragedy as narrated by the Finnish North American letter and memoir writers who sought and struggled to make sense of life in Soviet Karelia. Building That Bright Future is an interdisciplinary history that both enlightens and makes you weep."

Markku Kangaspuro, Professor, Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki :

"Samira Saramo's book is a touching account of the aspirations, dreams, intransigence, joys, and also successes of 6,500 Finns from Canada and the United States who moved to Soviet Karelia in the 1930s. She gives agency to migrants by bringing their different experiences and motives to the discussion, including a whole chapter devoted to children’s experiences and feelings through letters, memoirs, and life-story interviews. It is a beautiful and unique feature of this book as previous research has omitted children, almost without exception, from the picture."

Marlene Epp, Professor of History and Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Waterloo:

"This excellent work of transnational history reveals how ethnic identities and socialist ideals were framed and reframed in the everyday experiences of people who followed their dreams of utopia. Samira Saramo skillfully utilizes a rich body of life writing by Finnish North American migrants to Soviet Karelia to illuminate the intimacies of daily life – at home, at work, at play – in the midst of momentous political events."

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	vi
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Map of Karelia Publicly Available Download PDF	x
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
The Life Writers Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	11
Chapter One. The Call of Karjala: Contextualizing the Karelian “Fever” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	20
Chapter Two. “Our Comrades Are Leaving Again”: Moving to Soviet Karelia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	41
Chapter Three. “Of Course Not Like There”: Karelian Living Conditions as Experienced by Finnish North Americans Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	59
Chapter Four. “The Golden Fund of Karelia”: Childhood in Finnish North American Karelia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	84
Chapter Five. “Isn’t It a Different Land, This Sickle and Hammer Land?”: Working in Soviet Karelia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	102
Chapter Six. “All Kinds of Hustle and Bustle”: Community Life and Leisure Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	123
Chapter Seven. “Karelia Is Soaked in the Blood of Innocent People”: Writing about the Great Terror Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	149
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	178
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	187
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	231
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	247

Language: English
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Audience: College/higher education;Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 278
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 15
- Other: 15 b&w illustrations & 1 b&w map
Keywords: Soviet Karelia; Finnish Canadians; Finnish Americans; life writing; letters; everyday life; North American migration history; Russia; Stalin; Stalinism; communism; socialism; Great Terror; Finland; workers; lumber

eBook

Published: May 30, 2022
ISBN: 9781487530921