Sex Work in Contemporary Russia

By Emily Schuckman Matthews NOTCHES on the Bookshelf

The female sex worker as one of Russia’s most revealing cultural symbols.

Aleksandr Aleksandrov: New Sources in Nineteenth-Century Russian Trans Life-Writing

By Margarita Vaysman Modern Europe, Trans

Aleksandr Aleksandrov (1783-1866) was a Russian-Ukrainian hero of the Napoleonic wars and a celebrated trans author.

‘A Temporary Member’: ‘Hermaphrodites’ and Sexual Identity in Early Modern Russia

By Marianna Muravyeva Early Modern, LGBTQ, Medicine and the Body

‘Hermaphrodites’ represented a true puzzle for the authorities and local community.

Hirsute Phoenix: Conchita Wurst, Beards, and the Politics of Sexuality

By T.J. Tallie Modern Europe

Conchita Wurst’s beard queers the predictable image of female pop singer and calls directly to the constructed nature of gender performances.