“A Traveler in Captivity”: Passenger Impressions in the Correspondence of the Mozhevitinov Family (1926–1940)

Michel de Certeau's term “a traveler in captivity” captures the essence of passengers who, keep stationary in a train carriage, find themselves stepping out of their daily routine. Surrounded by immobile objects, they en-ter a realm of rest and sleep, lost in their memories and dreams. This study aims to uncover and present the au-thentic impressions and experiences of travelers using public transport in the pre-war Soviet Union. The research is conducted within the framework of the micro-level “life story” of a specific family who frequently traveled by public transport. Private letters and diaries serve as unique historical sources to understand the transport experi-ences of past travelers. The article draws on a thorough examination of archival materials from private corre-spondence between spouses, encompassing over 400 letters. It places special emphasis on how passengers per-ceived modern transport modes such as trains and steamboats, the quality of service, comfort of the vehicles, availability of services, ticket purchase conditions, and convenience of station facilities and surrounding areas. Letters quoted in the article are introduced into academic discourse for the first time. The author concludes that Soviet modernity provided considerable opportunities for “homo viatoribus”, despite the priority given to freight transport during the period of rapid industrialization. Moreover, the analysis of the Mozhevitinov couple's corre-spondence from 1926–1940, along with other studies of everyday life from that era, challenges the prevailing stereotypes of a “totalitarian” Soviet society in the pre-war USSR.