Jin Yan, born in 1954, is a renowned scholar of Soviet, Russian, and Eastern European history. Her representative work, *Turning the „Red Wheel“ Back: A Retrospective of the Mental Journey of Russian Intellectuals*, explores the intellectual history of Russian intellectuals. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in 1990, Jin Yan went to Poland as a visiting scholar. Between „reading books and studying society,“ she decided to become a „field observer“ of the Eastern European transition.
At that time, her deep interest in Chinese issues became the driving force behind her research on Eastern European and Russian issues. She closely followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and the process of economic transition, publishing *A New Journey Through the Land of Famine*, *Ten Years of Change: The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Process of Economic Transition in Eastern Europe*, *The Phoenix and the Owl*, and *From „Eastern Europe“ to „New Europe“—A Retrospective of 20 Years of Transition*.
In a past article by Jin Yan, „The Political Secrets Hidden in Soviet Kitchens,“ she described how people preserved their true language in private spaces such as kitchens during an era when everyone was an informant and „editorial style“ was prevalent. This language developed into the „Samizdat“ (самиздат, or Samizdat) of the 1970s, which was underground publication.
Samizdadt, 1976. Source: Wikipedia
„People voluntarily joined the ranks of those rapidly spreading ‚Samizdadt‘ in a snowballing manner, like a resale system. The printing, copying, and reading of underground publications brought immense spiritual pleasure. Kitchens served as workshops, transit points, and discussion venues for these underground channels.
Among these publications, *Chronicle of Current Events(ХРОНИКА ТЕКУЩИХ СОБЫТИЙ)*, founded in April 1968, had the greatest influence. Other notable underground publications included *Ukrainian Herald(УКРАЇНСЬКИЙ ВІСНИК)*, *Exodus(ИСХОД)*, *Memories*, and *The Narrator*. From 1964 to 1970, Ro. I. Medvedev published *Political Diary* monthly, providing readers with authentic information on major historical events.“
—From *Political Secrets Hidden in Soviet Kitchens*, Jin Yan
On August 8th, Jin Yan will share her research on „Samizdadt in Eastern Europe“ in the Blaues Haus Berlin Living Room. You are welcome to register.
Speaker
Jin Yan, born in 1954. She holds a Master’s degree in Soviet History from Lanzhou University and later taught at Shaanxi Normal University. She also conducted research at the University of Warsaw in Poland. In 1994, she became a researcher at the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, concurrently serving as the Director of the Eastern European Division of the Institute of World Socialism and the Executive Deputy Director of the Center for Russian Studies. Since 2006, she has taught at the School of Humanities, China University of Political Science and Law, serving as a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Institute of History, and concurrently as the Secretary-General of the Chinese Association for the Study of Soviet and Eastern European History. Her research focuses on Soviet Russian history and Eastern European history. Her publications include *Studies on Soviet Russian Modernization and Reform*, *A New Journey Through the Land of Famine*, *The Phoenix and the Owl*, and co-authored with Qin Hui *Rural Communes, Reforms, and Revolution* and *Pastoral Poems and Rhapsodies*. Other works include *From „Eastern Europe“ to „New Europe“* and *Reversing the Red Wheel*.
Event information
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Time: 14:00-17:00
Event location: Berlin Living Room (specific location information will be sent after successful registration)
Lecture language: Chinese
Registration method: Admission is free. Please scan the following QR code to register (the registration deadline is August 7 at 12:00 noon). If you cannot jump after scanning the code, you can also click on the original link at the bottom, or copy the following link to the browser to fill in: https://docs. google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdN59ueUmNk9ZFpluXjyJWaaTGOdowGVptcJtlS5dSjwaFzpw/viewform.
Important Notes:
- Adults and children aged 12 and above are welcome to register.
- If you are unable to attend after registration, please cancel your registration promptly to allow others to participate.
- Registered participants are requested to arrive no later than 5 minutes before the lecture begins.
- Recording is prohibited during the event. Thank you for your understanding.
- Photos will be taken during the event and will be used internally by the Blue Book House Foundation. Please inform us in advance if you have any objections.