Mapping Soviet Underground Culture in Italy: Routes, Networks, Paratexts

The production, circulation and reception of Soviet underground culture in Italy during the cultural Cold War represents an extremely interesting case study to demonstrate that the ‘Nylon Curtain’– namely, an extremely permeable geopolitical and ideological border – allowed the passage in both directions of a great variety of cultural objects, such as manuscripts (samizdat), books (tamizdat), audio recordings (roentgenizdat, magnitizdat), videotapes, paintings, drawings, graphics, photographs, etc. Starting from an event of crucial importance for the diffusion of unofficial Soviet culture in Italy and abroad – the Biennale of Dissent – ​​which took place in an equally crucial year for the international spread of Soviet dissent – ​​1977 – this essay aims to introduce the main topics of this thematic section, through the analysis of the actions of various socio-cultural actors who participated in the creation of the exhibition Libri, riviste, manifesti, fotografie, videotapes, samizdat [Books, magazines, posters, photographs, videotapes, samizdat] and the relational network that linked them.