Tatyana Mamonova

From Philosopedia

Tatyana Mamonova [also Tatiana] (10 December 1943 - )

Mamonova was born in Leningrad, the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (today, St. Petersburg, Russia).

Mamonova became a literary and television journalist. She was employed by Aurora Publishers (working at one time alongside Josef Brodsky) and by Leningrad Television.

In 1990, she was the first feminist dissident exiled from the USSR, expelled because of her activities upon behalf of the Russian women's movement. Her organization, then called Woman and Russia, promoted women's human rights. It published Samizdat Woman and Russia Almanac (now called Woman and Earth Almanac), an an art and literary journal containing the first collection of Soviet feminist writings. The almanac has now been published in 11 languages and in over 22 countries. In the year of her exile she was awarded Woman of the Year 1980 honors by F Magazine, Paris.

She is a former post-doctoral fellow with Harvard University’s Bunting Institute, a member of International PEN, the Russian representative to the Sisterhood is Global Institute, and has been the subject of documentary films, books, and all forms of media coverage from leading media including CBS Evening News with Morton Dean, The International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, and BBC.

As shown in published works, Tatyana is outspoken about politics, in one article being quoted as saying, "Even though Russians can travel now or buy better-looking clothes, they have no less fear than it was during the Soviet times. Crimes, especially against women, are on the rise - both genders are frustrated and have developed a lot of anger. The introduction of capitalism is killing our Russian soul."

She has taught Russian at Westport Continuing Education in Connecticut and has written a play, White Shoes, about the siege of Leningrad during World War II.

• I had to sell my mother's apartment and it gave me the chance to know what Russian corruption and bureaucracy really mean. There are no obvious restrictions in traveling anywhere but those who owe money or alimony are subject to be stopped at the border. The Russian equivalent of the IRS may demand a person to pay debts first. There are already cases where people were falsely accused and their traveling plans were ruined.

• Despite his tango with Bush, Putin staunchly opposed the U. S. invasion and occupation of Iraq and early all other Bush Administration foreign policy decisions, most recently backing Serbia in the Balkans crises.

Mamonova keeps an apartment in St. Petersburg but lives in the United States and travels widely.

Tatyana, Vacationing in the Dominican Republic 2008

Tatyana in front of Catherine the Great's Outfit, St. Petersburg, 2008

Awards

1980 Woman of the Year, One of five top women of the year (Cinq femmes a la une) chosen by F Magazine, Paris, France.

1981 Austrian Government Award, for the book Das Radieschen

1982 Elle Magazine, Paris, France, Book of the Year - Chose Woman and Russia (Femmes Et Russie) as one of top four books of the year.

1988 USA Poetry Award, Received Merit Certificate for the poem, "Thank You"

1988 USA SONO Art Festival Award, for watercolor paintings.

1996 Book Award, New York, Clarion Books, for I Remember.

1998 100 World Heroines Award - Selected from among women throughout the world for outstanding contribution toward achieving equality for women. She received this award in October, 1998 in Rochester, NY, during a celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the first women's rights convention held near there in 1848.

1998 Selected as Famous Poet 1998 by the Famous Poets Society of Hollywood, California - her poem, "Outdo," was awarded the Diamond Homer Trophy.

1999 APNET's Human Rights Award - Special honor given by African Peace Network International in recognition of her outstanding contributions towards protecting and promoting the human rights of women and children throughout the world. She received this award at APNET's First National Conference on Combating Child Abuse and Neglect in Accra, Ghana, in February, 1999.

2000 Canada, chosen for inclusion in Womankind book, an exhibition and web project to recognize leading women activists from around the world.

2001 Switzerland, Chosen for inclusion in The Prominent Refugee Directory published on the web and in print by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

2002 LIVING LEGACY AWARD, Selected by the Women’s International Center in San Diego, California.

2006 Human Rights Case is Heard at the Finals of the 17th International Human Rights Competition, Caen, France

2006 Heart of Danko Award, Russia

2008 Woman of the Year, Russia

Selected Works

Mamonova's books and works are numerous.

Following are selected works:

I Remember (with Fara Lynn Kransnopolsky and Gennady Schikarioff (1995)

Russian Women's Studies: Essays on Sexism in Soviet Culture (Athene Series) (1989)

Women and Russia (with R. Park and C.A. Fitzpatrick) (1984)

Women's Glasnost vs. Naglost: Stopping Russian Backlash (1993)

Contact:

Woman and Earth Press, 467 Central Park West (7-F), New York, NY 10025

Tel/Fax +1 (212) 866-8130 (mailto:womearth@yahoo.com>)

Dekabristov St 7-12, St. Petersburg, Russia 190000

Tel./Fax +7 (812) 314-5980