Femininity and Food: Consumption and Construction of Soviet Womanhood in Socialist Realism

• In Event: The Visual Representation of Women in Soviet Propaganda

Abstract

This paper examines the intersection of representations of gender and food in socialist realism, analyzing how Soviet propaganda posters utilized food imagery to construct and reinforce representations of women. Often depicted as agricultural leaders, maternal figures, and symbols of the Soviet project’s success, women in these visual and literary works were intricately linked to narratives of production, nourishment, and ideological strength. By exploring themes of femininity, sexuality, censorship, and starvation, this study highlights the ways in which food functioned as both a literal and symbolic tool in shaping the portrayal of women in socialist realism. Through this lens, the paper contributes to broader discussions on the role of female imagery as a cultural and ideological force during key periods of Soviet history.

Author

• Elena Kohn, New York Law School