Red Waves: The Developments and Meanings of Water Protection in the Soviet Union 1917–1991
Keywords:
water protection, Soviet Union, environmental protection, wastewaters, mediaAbstract
Our article is the first attempt to build a general understanding of the environmental history of water protection in the Soviet Union, which has not previously been studied on a national level. Previous research has been scarce and ideologically biased, although more objective research can be found at a local level. We examine the social and societal significance of water protection and the historical layers and turning points of water protection and wastewater treatment plant construction through three broader chronological periods. In addition to previous research, the sources of this article include scientific Soviet publications, articles of scientific communities focusing on the water theme, and articles published by the most important Soviet newspapers, Pravda and Izvestia. With urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural development, the Soviet Union faced the same environmental problems as the Western countries. However, the Soviet Union's efforts to solve these problems were shaped by the communist system.
