Nina Kosterina: A Young Communist in Stalinist Russia
Readers can now learn more about the life of Stalin-era teenager Nina Kosterina in a new biography titled Nina Kosterina: A Young Communist in Stalinist Russia. The book, authored by Jennifer Phillips, can be used to supplement high school social studies modules and homeschool lesson plans.
Nina was born in a revolutionary camp as the Bolsheviks took over Russia in 1920s. She beat the odds of survival during the harsh early years and emerged in the 1930s as a young Communist woman in love with her country, her family, her city, her friends, politics, art and life. Even when Joseph Stalin’s regime tore apart her family and imprisoned her father, she remained loyal to her country and joined an elite group of young women turned guerilla soldiers when the Germans invaded Russia in 1941.
Nina perished in a Nazi ambush behind enemy lines. After the war, her family found her diary hidden in a wardrobe. Years later, the diary was released as a book. Written from ages 15 to 20, the diary revealed a teenager transforming into an adult juxtaposed against one of the most dangerous and tumultuous periods in world history.
“I encountered a worn paperback copy of Nina’s diary at a library book sale several years ago,” Phillips said. “I became so entranced with her story and hungry to know more about that period of history. She references people and events that beg for more explanation if you’re not familiar with 1920s and 1930s Russia. I started doing research and ended up wanting to write a biography to provide more context while still having Nina’s voice tell the story through several of her diary entries.
“Nina didn’t see herself as documenting history, but just as an ordinary girl chronicling her daily life. I was very excited to learn that one of her sisters was still alive in Moscow. She and her son, Nina’s nephew, helped provide a lot of information for the book,” Phillips said.
Nina’s biography, written for young adult readers, is available as an eBook through its publisher at www.writewordsinc.com, along with other outlets such as Amazon and Fictionwise. The ISBN is 978-1-59431-
Readers will find more materials related to Nina, including photos provided by her family, on Phillips’ website, http://www.noseinabookpublishing.com. Phillips is available for classroom discussions (in person within Washington state and virtually for other parts of the country) about the biography subject or the process of researching and writing these books.
