Honorable Mention, Alec Nove Book Prize committee

Honorable Mention for Oksana Sarkisova and Olga Shevchenko, "In Visible Presence: Soviet Afterlives in Family Photos". MIT Press, 2023.

In Visible Presence is a rich and brilliantly written exploration of Soviet history and memory through family photographs. Meticulously researched, Sarkisova and Shevchenko’s book uncovers multi-generational perspectives on the Soviet era, all prompted by the same set of photographs. With great care and sensitivity to their sources and interlocutors, the authors unravel layers of memories - both nostalgic and traumatic - revealing silences and unspoken pains in family histories. The book also highlights the entanglements between private and public spheres, showing how family stories intertwine with, and are often exploited by, contemporary memory politics in Russia. With its interdisciplinary appeal and over 250 beautifully reproduced black-and-white photos, this book is a must-read for everyone interested in the Soviet era and its afterlives in today’s Russia and beyond.