Russia is known today for its gas and oil industries, but this was not always the case: When Soviet engineers set out to build a 'socialist' energy economy in the 1920s, they were more likely to imagine it running on coal, electricity and perhaps even solar power. This seminar explores the history of Russia and the Soviet Union through the lens of a particularly powerful resource - energy. From the Nobel family's development of the Baku oil field to today's exploration of the Arctic by a fleet of nuclear power plants, we examine the relationship between energy resources and the Russian and Soviet state throughout the 20th century. The course focuses on the changing roles of the Russian and Soviet states in the development of energy resources, the competing visions of energy development among Soviet scientists and economic planners, and the global context in which debates and decisions about energy technologies took place.
As part of the course, there is an opportunity to take part in an excursion to the Uranium Mining Museum in Aue, Saxony, which documents the history of Soviet-run uranium mining in the GDR.
- Trainer/in: Daniela Ruß