Beauty in post-Soviet Russia: A contradictory freedom. An analysis of Russian teen magazines from 2003

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of the content of Russian teen magazines published in 2003 meant for a female audience. Given that glossy magazines for female teenagers did not appear in Russia until 1991, the long-term effect of the messages these magazines engender is yet to fully be seen in the generations coming of age in post-Soviet society. This thesis is a first attempt to speculate on the effect these magazines are having on Russian teen girls. By analyzing the strategies used in these magazines to promote fashion, cosmetics, skin care and body image, we can perceive the ways in which Western norms of feminine beauty have been successfully imported to Russia during the last 15 years. This study examines the ideal of the "beautiful" female body propagated throughout the Soviet era, and how this ideal changed with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Implications for further research are discussed.