Gopnik
Encyclopedia
Gopnik is a stereotypical class of young male
s up to 30 years old found in Russia
and post-Soviet countries, similar to a Chav
or Ned
in Great Britain
, characterized by aggressive behavior, specifically towards the weak, predilection to the criminal subculture
, abuse of alcohol beverages (specifically beer
, vodka
and "Jaguar" cocktail) and specific fashion preferences.
The term gopnik (plural gopniki, gopota, gopary) is slang
used in Russia
.
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
s up to 30 years old found in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and post-Soviet countries, similar to a Chav
Chav
A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
or Ned
Ned (Scottish)
Ned is a derogatory term applied in Scotland to hooligans, louts or petty criminals, latterly with the stereotypical implication that they wear casual sports clothes. Such usage in Glasgow dates back to the 1960s or earlier.-Early use of term:...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, characterized by aggressive behavior, specifically towards the weak, predilection to the criminal subculture
Blat (Russia)
Blat is a term which appeared in the Soviet Union to denote the use of informal agreements, exchanges of services, connections, Party contacts, or black market deals to achieve results or get ahead....
, abuse of alcohol beverages (specifically beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
and "Jaguar" cocktail) and specific fashion preferences.
The term gopnik (plural gopniki, gopota, gopary) is slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
used in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Origins of the term
- The term "gopnik" was probably derived from slang term gop-stop, meaning street mugging.
- Another version is that "gopnik" derived from the acronym GOP, probably a reference to Gorodskoye Obshchestvo Prizreniya (the City Society of Charity), the numerous almshouseAlmshouseAlmshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s organized by the government after the October RevolutionOctober RevolutionThe October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Another version translates the acronym as Gorodskoye Obshchezhitiye Proletariata (The City Hall of Proletarian Residence), putatively organized in the 1920s1920sFile:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
in Saint-Petersburg in the hotel Oktyabrskaya, which quickly became known for the criminal actions of its inhabitants. The major argument against the second version is that there are no surviving records proving the existence of such an institution in Saint-Petersburg.