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Polina Ukrainskaya

This document discusses Jewish entrepreneurship in Ukrainian towns during Soviet times. It examines the economic strategies and models represented in narratives about Soviet life. People remember Soviet life involving an unsuccessful official economic narrative of progress versus an unofficial one of deficits. There were various fields for economic activity, including industries controlled by the state, traditional services, and consumer services/trade. Stories convey knowledge of doing business successfully despite deficits, reproducing the Jewish entrepreneurship tradition and negotiating with the state. The narratives legitimate and confirm local business activity.

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§¦§Ó§â§Ö§Û§ã§Ü§à§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§á§â§Ú§ß§Ú§Þ§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ã§ä§Ó§à §Ó §å§Ü§â§Ñ§Ú§ß§ã§Ü§Ú§ç §Þ§Ö§ã§ä§Ö§é§Ü§Ñ§ç: §â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ã§Ý§à §Ú §ä§à§â§Ô§à§Ó§Ý§ñ §Ó §ã§à§Ó§Ö§ä§ã§Ü§à§Ö §Ó§â§Ö§Þ§ñ §®§Ñ§â§Ú§ß§Ñ §·§Ñ§Ü§Ü§Ñ§â§Ñ§Û§ß§Ö§ß §¸§Ö§ß§ä§â ?§±§Ö§ä§Ö§â§Ò§å§â§Ô§ã§Ü§Ñ§ñ §ª§å§Õ§Ñ§Ú§Ü§Ñ?, §¦§Ó§â§à§á§Ö§Û§ã§Ü§Ú§Û §å§ß§Ú§Ó§Ö§â§ã§Ú§ä§Ö§ä §Ó §³§Ñ§ß§Ü§ä-§±§Ö§ä§Ö§â§Ò§å§â§Ô§Ö marhakka@eu.spb.ru
§±§â§à§Ö§Ü§ä ¡°Rural futures: ethnographies of transformation from Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and Russia¡±, Academy of Finland, principal investigator Laura Assmuth Symbolic meaning of Jewishness in economic life of Ukrainian province
Sociocultural modeling of economic behavior ¡°¡­any model, whether local or universal, is a construction of the world; it is not a transcription or representation of an already given reality. A local or cultural model is comprised of the beliefs and practices which constitute a people¡¯s world¡± (Gudeman 1986:28)
Project ¡°Rural futures: ethnographies of transformation from Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and Russia¡±, supported by Academy of Finland, principal investigator Laura Assmuth 1. What economic strategies and models do people represent in narratives about Soviet life of Ukrainian small towns? 2. What does Soviet economic individual activity mean for local people nowadays?
Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ People who lived during the Soviet rule remember that the general narrative about Soviet life was a narrative about economic success of Socialism. The model of Socialism included production, distribution and consumption of material and spirituals values. And in comparison with the Soviet official economic narrative about great progress the unofficial one was about unsuccessful production, distribution and consumption, in any case in connection with material values
Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ ¡°In the Soviet Union we had planned economy. You don¡¯t understand it. No one can easily comprehend it now¡­¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°It was a paradox. I bought two vans of motorbikes, which were produced in Lvov¡­ It was not possible to get them here. The plan¡­ they sent it to Tashkent¡­ and let¡¯s imagine that these motorbikes were sent to desert¡­ Nobody needed them in Tashkent. But the plant should send them there. Nobody drove bikes there¡­ camels and donkeys were there. But here nobody rode camels and donkeys. Here Poles bought motorbikes at that time¡­¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°Warm clothes were sent to Central Asia, and on the contrary swimsuit could be found at North Pole; and this was normal,¡± ¡°old big men were sleeping and distributing goods at the same time¡­¡± (Bo-2007);
Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ ¡°As far as planned economy existed ¨C the process of distribution was imperfect¡­ and it happened that in some place over-saturation has taken place¡­ of one product because it did not exist anywhere else. And thus we were regulators of this situation, and had some profit from our activity¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°We lived not bad. I grew two children during the Soviet rule. I educated them in Moscow in the most prestigious institute¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°I was a boss¡­ I owned a house; I owned a car¡­ at that time¡­ I had money. I did not need anything else¡­¡± (Sh-2008); ¡°¡­I bought¡­ two-storied house, I changed about ten cars, and¡­ anything you want¡­ I could reasonably afford everything what I wanted. And my family could too (A-2007);
Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ §Ü§Ñ§â§ä§Ú§ß§Ü§Ñ
Fields for economic activity in the former Pale of Settlement The field of total presence of the State and strong control provided by it: they were industrial organizations and Soviet institutions like plants, factories, banks, etc. The service of tradition and traditional needs, generally focused on rites of passage. The field of consumer services, petty manufacture or artisanship, and trade between the first two fields.
Fields for economic activity in the former Pale of Settlement §Ü§Ñ§â§ä§Ú§ß§Ü§Ñ
The field of tradition: Production of material values, services and entrepreneurship ¡°We worked for ourselves, and everybody knew it. Our director was also Jew¡­ He was distinguished and respected person in the Ministry¡­ Our consumer service center was on a quite high level. We performed the Plan and were on the first places not only in our region but even in whole Ukraine. And the system was like that. The plan was fulfilled easily and quickly. Then cutters bought textile similar to (the one) given for our center, they bought them in a shop. They cut it at once. After that it was not clear if it was from our warehouse of from the shop. We replaced a receipt. Then we sold semi-finished clothes at the market¡­ When I went deep into all these things, I understood that the chief tailor¡¯s cutters had the tailor¡¯s shop as if their own¡± (R-2007);
The field of tradition: Production of material values, services and entrepreneurship ¡°¡®Uncle Penia (Bor¡¯a) was selling it. He was a one-armed army man; he was selling soda and beer, as I remember. He made a living ¨C one kopeck was a price of soda, but there were many people walking by.¡¯ ¡®When it was terribly hot, the cold water was right¡¯ ¡®The matter is that its price was two kopecks, but he put up it to three kopecks. The town led it to do, because he paid. The town let him to do it, because he paid... And this one kopeck made his livelihood. He was putting some ice in addition¡­ And when somebody had a drink of water¡­ everybody knows Odessa city, and how many kiosks were there¡­ So they said ¨C you have much better soda than in Odessa¡¯¡± (K-S-2008);
Entrepreneurship: Production of entrepreneurship knowledge ¡°My grandfather was illiterate ¨C no reading, or writing. But when he visited Leningrad, Moscow or Odessa, he could everything¡­ whatever you ask him he could find it. He knew where it was. He had visual memory¡­ he could not read ¡®bread shop¡¯ or ¡®manufactory¡¯. But he knew. He moved over Leningrad as at home¡­¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®It was his business. When people worked in kolkhozes, they did not get money¡­ They paid bonds. It was not possible to use them there. And when he worked there, sewed sheepskin coats¡­ and later hats ¨C it also was good earnings ¨C and when he worked in the country, they paid him bonds. It was not possible to change them in banks in Bershad¡¯ (it is the place of the interview). Then he went over to Odessa, Moscow and Leningrad. He changed bonds for roll of textile. It was possible to sell this rouleau or change them for something. He lived in this way, because he knew¡± (Sh-2008);
Entrepreneurship: Production of non-material values: ethnic ¡°trade style¡± and business ethics ¡°Treat others as you want them to treat you¡± Don¡¯t steal, betray, cheat, envy; Don¡¯t break your word; Don¡¯t strive for profits beyond your need; Be modest, honest and respectable; Be responsible for your words and deeds; etc.
Entrepreneurship: negotiations with the State ¡°I worked for the State. But the State never has had any claim to me, because I worked for it very well. I¡­ had a shop of household appliances. Four people worked there, and turnover was larger than in the whole department store where worked forty people. In economic sense we were very profitable,¡± ¨C an owner of an electronics shop. Later he added: ¡°responsibility¡­ in places where Jews worked, there never monetary deficit happened. They never steal¡­ as they say from themselves, and they will save property of the State. They will find another ways for taking a profit.¡± (Bo-2007)
Conclusions The narratives convey knowledge how to do business; they include codification of moral values and represent an image of successful entrepreneur; The stories about Soviet entrepreneurship tell people how to deal with the State; They reproduce a spirit of entrepreneurship and confirm Jewish entrepreneurship tradition; The stories about illegal Soviet economic practices are the heritage of local communities; They legitimate local business activity, this is not regarded traditional for Ukrainian population in these regions, the Jewish entrepreneurs play a role of experts in it.
Marina Hakkarainen Researcher, PhD. Centre ¡°Petersburg Judaica¡±, EUSPb marhakka@eu.spb.ru Thank you!

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Ussr jews rus

  • 1. §¦§Ó§â§Ö§Û§ã§Ü§à§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§á§â§Ú§ß§Ú§Þ§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ã§ä§Ó§à §Ó §å§Ü§â§Ñ§Ú§ß§ã§Ü§Ú§ç §Þ§Ö§ã§ä§Ö§é§Ü§Ñ§ç: §â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ã§Ý§à §Ú §ä§à§â§Ô§à§Ó§Ý§ñ §Ó §ã§à§Ó§Ö§ä§ã§Ü§à§Ö §Ó§â§Ö§Þ§ñ §®§Ñ§â§Ú§ß§Ñ §·§Ñ§Ü§Ü§Ñ§â§Ñ§Û§ß§Ö§ß §¸§Ö§ß§ä§â ?§±§Ö§ä§Ö§â§Ò§å§â§Ô§ã§Ü§Ñ§ñ §ª§å§Õ§Ñ§Ú§Ü§Ñ?, §¦§Ó§â§à§á§Ö§Û§ã§Ü§Ú§Û §å§ß§Ú§Ó§Ö§â§ã§Ú§ä§Ö§ä §Ó §³§Ñ§ß§Ü§ä-§±§Ö§ä§Ö§â§Ò§å§â§Ô§Ö marhakka@eu.spb.ru
  • 2. §±§â§à§Ö§Ü§ä ¡°Rural futures: ethnographies of transformation from Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and Russia¡±, Academy of Finland, principal investigator Laura Assmuth Symbolic meaning of Jewishness in economic life of Ukrainian province
  • 3. Sociocultural modeling of economic behavior ¡°¡­any model, whether local or universal, is a construction of the world; it is not a transcription or representation of an already given reality. A local or cultural model is comprised of the beliefs and practices which constitute a people¡¯s world¡± (Gudeman 1986:28)
  • 4. Project ¡°Rural futures: ethnographies of transformation from Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and Russia¡±, supported by Academy of Finland, principal investigator Laura Assmuth 1. What economic strategies and models do people represent in narratives about Soviet life of Ukrainian small towns? 2. What does Soviet economic individual activity mean for local people nowadays?
  • 5. Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ People who lived during the Soviet rule remember that the general narrative about Soviet life was a narrative about economic success of Socialism. The model of Socialism included production, distribution and consumption of material and spirituals values. And in comparison with the Soviet official economic narrative about great progress the unofficial one was about unsuccessful production, distribution and consumption, in any case in connection with material values
  • 6. Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ ¡°In the Soviet Union we had planned economy. You don¡¯t understand it. No one can easily comprehend it now¡­¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°It was a paradox. I bought two vans of motorbikes, which were produced in Lvov¡­ It was not possible to get them here. The plan¡­ they sent it to Tashkent¡­ and let¡¯s imagine that these motorbikes were sent to desert¡­ Nobody needed them in Tashkent. But the plant should send them there. Nobody drove bikes there¡­ camels and donkeys were there. But here nobody rode camels and donkeys. Here Poles bought motorbikes at that time¡­¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°Warm clothes were sent to Central Asia, and on the contrary swimsuit could be found at North Pole; and this was normal,¡± ¡°old big men were sleeping and distributing goods at the same time¡­¡± (Bo-2007);
  • 7. Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ ¡°As far as planned economy existed ¨C the process of distribution was imperfect¡­ and it happened that in some place over-saturation has taken place¡­ of one product because it did not exist anywhere else. And thus we were regulators of this situation, and had some profit from our activity¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°We lived not bad. I grew two children during the Soviet rule. I educated them in Moscow in the most prestigious institute¡± (Bo-2007); ¡°I was a boss¡­ I owned a house; I owned a car¡­ at that time¡­ I had money. I did not need anything else¡­¡± (Sh-2008); ¡°¡­I bought¡­ two-storied house, I changed about ten cars, and¡­ anything you want¡­ I could reasonably afford everything what I wanted. And my family could too (A-2007);
  • 8. Soviet life and Soviet economy: from ¡®deficit¡¯ to ¡®consumerism¡¯ §Ü§Ñ§â§ä§Ú§ß§Ü§Ñ
  • 9. Fields for economic activity in the former Pale of Settlement The field of total presence of the State and strong control provided by it: they were industrial organizations and Soviet institutions like plants, factories, banks, etc. The service of tradition and traditional needs, generally focused on rites of passage. The field of consumer services, petty manufacture or artisanship, and trade between the first two fields.
  • 10. Fields for economic activity in the former Pale of Settlement §Ü§Ñ§â§ä§Ú§ß§Ü§Ñ
  • 11. The field of tradition: Production of material values, services and entrepreneurship ¡°We worked for ourselves, and everybody knew it. Our director was also Jew¡­ He was distinguished and respected person in the Ministry¡­ Our consumer service center was on a quite high level. We performed the Plan and were on the first places not only in our region but even in whole Ukraine. And the system was like that. The plan was fulfilled easily and quickly. Then cutters bought textile similar to (the one) given for our center, they bought them in a shop. They cut it at once. After that it was not clear if it was from our warehouse of from the shop. We replaced a receipt. Then we sold semi-finished clothes at the market¡­ When I went deep into all these things, I understood that the chief tailor¡¯s cutters had the tailor¡¯s shop as if their own¡± (R-2007);
  • 12. The field of tradition: Production of material values, services and entrepreneurship ¡°¡®Uncle Penia (Bor¡¯a) was selling it. He was a one-armed army man; he was selling soda and beer, as I remember. He made a living ¨C one kopeck was a price of soda, but there were many people walking by.¡¯ ¡®When it was terribly hot, the cold water was right¡¯ ¡®The matter is that its price was two kopecks, but he put up it to three kopecks. The town led it to do, because he paid. The town let him to do it, because he paid... And this one kopeck made his livelihood. He was putting some ice in addition¡­ And when somebody had a drink of water¡­ everybody knows Odessa city, and how many kiosks were there¡­ So they said ¨C you have much better soda than in Odessa¡¯¡± (K-S-2008);
  • 13. Entrepreneurship: Production of entrepreneurship knowledge ¡°My grandfather was illiterate ¨C no reading, or writing. But when he visited Leningrad, Moscow or Odessa, he could everything¡­ whatever you ask him he could find it. He knew where it was. He had visual memory¡­ he could not read ¡®bread shop¡¯ or ¡®manufactory¡¯. But he knew. He moved over Leningrad as at home¡­¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®It was his business. When people worked in kolkhozes, they did not get money¡­ They paid bonds. It was not possible to use them there. And when he worked there, sewed sheepskin coats¡­ and later hats ¨C it also was good earnings ¨C and when he worked in the country, they paid him bonds. It was not possible to change them in banks in Bershad¡¯ (it is the place of the interview). Then he went over to Odessa, Moscow and Leningrad. He changed bonds for roll of textile. It was possible to sell this rouleau or change them for something. He lived in this way, because he knew¡± (Sh-2008);
  • 14. Entrepreneurship: Production of non-material values: ethnic ¡°trade style¡± and business ethics ¡°Treat others as you want them to treat you¡± Don¡¯t steal, betray, cheat, envy; Don¡¯t break your word; Don¡¯t strive for profits beyond your need; Be modest, honest and respectable; Be responsible for your words and deeds; etc.
  • 15. Entrepreneurship: negotiations with the State ¡°I worked for the State. But the State never has had any claim to me, because I worked for it very well. I¡­ had a shop of household appliances. Four people worked there, and turnover was larger than in the whole department store where worked forty people. In economic sense we were very profitable,¡± ¨C an owner of an electronics shop. Later he added: ¡°responsibility¡­ in places where Jews worked, there never monetary deficit happened. They never steal¡­ as they say from themselves, and they will save property of the State. They will find another ways for taking a profit.¡± (Bo-2007)
  • 16. Conclusions The narratives convey knowledge how to do business; they include codification of moral values and represent an image of successful entrepreneur; The stories about Soviet entrepreneurship tell people how to deal with the State; They reproduce a spirit of entrepreneurship and confirm Jewish entrepreneurship tradition; The stories about illegal Soviet economic practices are the heritage of local communities; They legitimate local business activity, this is not regarded traditional for Ukrainian population in these regions, the Jewish entrepreneurs play a role of experts in it.
  • 17. Marina Hakkarainen Researcher, PhD. Centre ¡°Petersburg Judaica¡±, EUSPb marhakka@eu.spb.ru Thank you!