Book Review: E. E. Nosenko-Shtein. "Invisible People, or Being Disabled in Russia (Anthropological Essays). Moscow: Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences; Neolith, 2025. 396 p.

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2026-1/376-382

Abstract

The reviewed monograph is a well-founded scientific anthropological study based on extensive fieldwork, including structured interviews with informants and experts. The book covers a wide range of issues related to disability in Russia. It specifically examines the conceptual framework and the situation of children with disabilities in the country, with a focus on educational methods for such children. It also explores employment opportunities for people with disabilities and how they acquire professional skills. Summarizing the results of fieldwork, the author identifies the various life strategies of people with disabilities, which ultimately determine their behavior. The book discusses issues of leisure for people with disabilities and their self-identification. It also presents an analysis of the challenges that people with disabilities face when starting a family. The review briefly presents the book's contents and recommendations for how social services can use the findings. Disability is not a problem unique to people with disabilities; it is a problem for society as a whole, requiring serious attention and study.