Scenes from Happy (and Not So Happy) Mixed Marriages

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the characteristics of successful intermarriages, arguing that they primarily followed one of two patterns: couples in which one spouse assimilated to the other's culture, and couples with a strong sense of common Soviet culture and less attachment to specific national traditions. The chapter mentions Vera Rahimova and Madina Nahipova, who represent different approaches to intermarriage in Soviet Central Asia, each of which could form the basis for an enduring marriage. When intermarried couples in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan faced discord and divorce, the reasons most often had nothing to do with ethnic identity. The chapter discusses how mixed marriages faced additional challenges linked to cultural differences between the partners. Many wartime mixed marriages failed early on when the Russian partner found it too difficult to adapt to local cultural expectations of women in Central Asia.