This book investigates the role and impact of the Commissariat of Enlightenment in the early Soviet Union. Fitzpatrick examines how this powerful institution, led by Anatoly Lunacharsky, attempted to reshape Russian culture and education in the tumultuous years following the Bolshevik Revolution. The work analyzes the commissariat's policies, its successes and failures in areas ranging from literacy campaigns and art patronage to the suppression of religious institutions and the promotion of secularism, all within the context of civil war and nascent state-building.

Sheila Fitzpatrick's "The Commissariat of Enlightenment" is recognized as a significant scholarly work on the cultural and educational policies of the early Soviet state. The book is praised for its detailed examination of Anatoly Lunacharsky's leadership and the ambitious, often contradictory, aims of the commissariat. Scholars appreciate its thorough research into the period's complex social and political landscape, highlighting the challenges faced in implementing radical cultural change. The work is considered essential reading for understanding the formative years of Soviet cultural policy and its lasting implications.