Gopniks - subculture: description and reasons for its occurrence. Use of the word as a political cliché

"), and also disdainfully refer to the so-called. “Suckers” - everyone who does not comply with “boyish concepts” - unspoken rules of behavior that have developed in a criminal environment.

Doctor social sciences, director of the “New Generation” project of the “ Public opinion“Larisa Pautova in 2009 believed that “gopota” is at least 25 percent among modern youth. The sociologist means by this term young people who do not strive for anything, who find themselves among the masses of their own kind. .

Characteristics of the subculture

Researcher of the “Gopnik” subculture - employee of the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Management of Kazan State Technical University. A. N. Tupolev - Ramil Khanipov notes: “The City Center for the Prevention of Neglect and Drug Addiction of Minors of St. Petersburg designates gopniks as “informal associations” and includes them in the “aggressive” section. Discussions on Internet forums speak about the level of development of these informal associations as follows: “... from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, gopniks are to this day the most common form of youth associations,” and all the sources used emphasize the pronounced criminal and group nature of this subculture: “These are mostly fights, robberies, raids aimed at obtaining money..., alcohol and cigarettes."

The head of the Moscow branch of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Oleg Lavrov, said that Gopniks make up a certain part of his party’s electoral base:

Unlike most informal youth associations (for example, hippies, punks, role players), gopniks did not assign any names to the rest of the population and did not distinguish themselves as separate group relative to the entire population, from which it follows that they did not recognize themselves as a subculture.

Stereotypical appearance

A tracksuit is the most common clothing in summer period, and including pants and a jacket made of synthetic material. As he notes, most often these turn out to be counterfeits of well-known brands purchased on the clothing market (for example, Adidas or Puma). Less often - classic black trousers, often slightly bigger size, than necessary;
A short jacket made of leather, leatherette or fabric, or a vest made of the same materials over a tracksuit. The collar is often set in a stand-up manner, and it is also often tucked into the pants;
Among the headdresses, preference is given to a “tablet” cap (an “eight-piece cap” or a baseball cap). The following peculiarity is noted: the hat is not removed indoors, but is worn on the top of the head in such a way that it rests on the back of the ears and does not cover them.
A typical haircut is “bald” or very short, sometimes with bangs (“half-box”).
It is also typical to wear a “borset”. Often representatives of the subculture are associated with a bag of seeds, rosary beads and a balisong knife.

Other distinctive features

It is also noted that representatives of this subculture are characterized by the following features:

Reflection in musical culture

There are many dedicated to Gopniks musical works. One of the first mentions of gopniks was recorded in the song by Leonid Utesov - “Gop with a bow” from his repertoire 1929-1933.

The most widely known song is “Gopniki” by Mike Naumenko and the group “Zoo” (). One of the verses of the song characterizes the behavior of Gopniks:

Subsequently, several cover versions were recorded for the song “Zoo” by a variety of performers: “DDT”, “Last Tanks in Paris”, “Different People”, “Az”, “FRONT” and others.

Among the songs of famous performers telling about Gopniks:

In the 2000s, artists appeared whose entire work was devoted to parody typical features Gopniks and their hooligan behavior in the style of the so-called “boy rap”: the groups “Gopota”, “Gopnik” (Ukraine), “Black GUN Dons”, “a.b.i.b.a.s”, “Night Dogs”, as well as the performer Rapper Syava. David Brown dedicated new album Brazzaville group “Teenage Summer Days” to Russian Gopniks.

Use as a political cliché

The phrase was later actively used by the media, politicians and bloggers, and if initially it was used only in a negative way in relation to the “Nashi” movement, then it began to be used more widely.

On January 27, 2009, APN columnist Andrei Okara, describing a talk show he saw on NTV “Honest Monday” with the participation of writer Sergei Minaev and politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, notes.

In the 1990s, it seemed that the “Gopniks” would take over, if not the whole world, then at least one-sixth of the land.

"Gopniks" ruled the roost in all 11 time zones of Russia. Gopniks - or Russian men, who adopted the style of Gopniks, surged into all spheres of life, from “business”, where they played the role of infantry, to politics, where they formed the core of resistance to Western influence...

Gopnik - (normal kid, goper, gopar, gop, gopota, punks, gopson) in post-revolutionary Petrograd - a resident of the City Dormitory of the Proletariat (the current Oktyabrskaya Hotel, according to contemporaries, everyone wore red socks and were identified by them, that’s where it came from) ) - the lowest multicellular, infantry from the criminal world, but in fact - punks, a petty street criminal, whose main hobby is squeezing money and cell phones from passers-by, and of course, kicking emo and other representatives of less aggressive subcultures.

The appearance of Gopniks is typical and predictable: Russian guys of the “don’t put your finger in your mouth” type with dull faces, which reflect only one thought: “Yes, I’ve laid it on you!”

These guys are more comfortable squatting than standing. But, most importantly, these are the last males on planet Earth who manage to wear 1920s gangster caps with style, everyone else in such caps only looks like fagots from theater school rehearsing some musical.

Gopniks are cool because there is no place for self-irony in their world. They are very "authentic". Proof of this is their fantastically adventurous tastes: a mixture of bad taste, menace and garish Third World chic. Even the fact that Gopniks like to blast techno at full blast, sing karaoke songs in cheap cafes with color music, or wear cheap pointy leather boots to match their 1920s ragtime-style pillbox caps cannot take away their status as the most dangerous scumbags. in the world.

History of the word, Gopnik culture. About the word. There are few terms that one hundred percent correspond to the designated object. "Gop" sounds angry, stupid and funny, but not so funny that you dare to laugh in the face of a gopnik. The word "Gopnik" is based on the abbreviation: "State hostel of the proletariat." Add to "G.O.P." the suffix “nick” - and the new biological species is ready. Gopniks appeared after the revolution. The first gopniks came to Petrograd in the 1920s in search of work. By origin, they were peasants or completely landless scum.

The species "common gopnik" even had its own specific habitat - Ligovsky Prospekt, building 10. Actually, this is a hotel, now called "Oktyabrskaya", and the gopniks, in their own way, turned it into a collectivist gangster club. Since they were outsiders in their villages, often children from single-parent families, and many already had petty crimes on their record, if not something worse, indigenous people Petrograd, and then Leningrad, were disgusted with Gopniks.

They went down in legends as thugs and lucky ones, whom even the Soviet system could not break. They had their own code of honor, they lived by their own rules, they had their own tattoos on their fingers, their own fashions. They represented something like a caste of “thieves in law” in the world of delinquent “hooligans”. Later, the meaning of the word changed, and the expression “gopnik” meant any dubious type with a shaved head, wearing a thick leather jacket, stupid leather boots and a pillbox cap.

Some gopniks exchanged leather jackets and sweatshirts for brown blazers from Hugo Boss, but could not resist complementing this splendor with shiny mules: gold chains on their hands and necks, fancy watches and so on. The Gopnik culture in the 90s was accompanied by techno music. However, the 1990s turned out to be not so much the rise of the Gopnik Nation as the Beginning of its End.

Have Gopniks survived to this day?
Most sources agree that two factors contributed to their virtual extinction. First: in the 1980s and 1990s, hard drugs and weapons suddenly became widely available.
Their introduction into such a fearless and primitive culture as the Gopnik culture meant that in one decade almost half of the individuals left for another world.

The second reason is more related to changes in habitat. The advent of Western bourgeois values and cultural preferences, and the beginning of a period of external stability, growth and sobriety under Putin, meant that the Gopnik's 70-year reign as the king of the rebel world came to an abrupt end: Russians of all social classes quickly came to hate the Gopnik's loutish aesthetic.

Nothing speaks more eloquently about the tragic disappearance of Gopnik from the face of the earth than the fact that Shnur from the group “Leningrad”, a big fan of Gopnik culture, is going to open (perhaps he has already opened, I don’t know) in his native St. Petersburg “Gopnik Museum”. Shnur's group romanticizes the Gopniks to a middle-class audience that has finally come to appreciate them, albeit in a semi-ironic spirit that would not have been possible if the Gopniks had not disappeared. Even the original cradle of Gopniks - house 10 on Ligovsky Prospekt - today is nothing more than a three-star hotel.

Anatomy of a gopnik. A pillbox cap is a key element of a Gopnik's outfit. Leather ones are for serious murders, stripes are for all sorts of trifles. Ears - usually protrude more than those of ordinary homo sapiens, thanks to fights, as well as the indispensable haircut to zero. Shashlik - Gopniks (like all Russians) believe that meat tastes best when it is roasted on a stick over a fire. Sweatpants still remain the most ergodynamic for squatting.

Shoes. Gopniks prefer a) pointed leather boots or b) slippers, but as they assimilate culturally, they sometimes wear sneakers. Glass - everyone knows that vodka tastes best when it is served warm in a glass. plastic cups. It is very important that several midges float on its surface. Leather jacket, alternatively an Olympic jacket. Forehead - convex frontal lobes are inherited from distant ancestors - humans.

Guide to Gopniks from different countries

When traveling abroad, Russian tourists sometimes decide that other countries have exclusively intelligent, friendly, stylishly dressed law-abiding citizens. Have you ever seen Gopniks in Japan? No? In fact, you only missed them because you didn't know what they looked like. From this material you will learn who to be wary of or, conversely, who you can squat next to and talk about life abroad...

Let's start with the classics.

"Chav" comes from the Romani word "сhavvi", which means "child". As a rule, these are representatives of disadvantaged families who live on unemployment benefits. Because of this, they become objects of contempt: the British complain that slackers live on their taxes, without contributing to society. What chavs prefer in clothing sport style, although they are rarely seen playing sports.
Chavette girls wear tight T-shirts with logos of famous brands, skinny jeans or short skirts, Ugg boots or sneakers, but are especially distinguished by their hairstyles: bleached hair with grown roots is pulled into a tight ponytail, and the ears are decorated with large hoop earrings. Chavettes generally love shiny jewelry that imitates gold. Both men and women rarely let go of a can of beer and a cigarette, so they can be safely classified as wardrobe items.
Chavs prefer hip-hop and R&B when it comes to music, despite the fact that they do not shun everyday racism. Chavs love cars very much, but are not patient enough (or too adventurous) to save up money and buy good car. They prefer to take a heavily used one and spend time and money on tuning it. They communicate in typical slang with a strong accent, their vocabulary is rich in swear words.

The Irish word "knacker", in addition to the local equivalent of "gopnik", is also used to describe a person who buys old or sick cattle in order to kill them and sell the meat. It can be assumed that the offensive connotation extends to all its meanings. Besides this, Irish neckers are not much different from British chavs - they have the same appearance and lifestyle. The abbreviation “ned” stands for “non-educated delinquent,” translated from English as “uneducated criminal.” They differ from English chavs mainly in their accent and addiction to fake Burberry caps. They often smoke hashish, which is crushed and rolled into rolled-up cigarettes. This habit is so widespread that it took special word for holes in clothes burned by the ashes of cigarettes with pieces of hashish - “bommers”.

The appearance of bogans is radically different from the style of other gopniks: they wear flannel shirts, black jeans or leggings, black wool sweaters and UGG boots. Bogans drive around in used Holden Commodores or Ford Falcons. Unlike other gopniks of the world, bogans wear long hair or at worst long bangs.
It cannot be said that they are extremely aggressive or trying to “squeeze out the mobile phone,” but in the minds of Australians, bogans occupy the place of uneducated, immoral elements of society. Bogans gather in pubs, where they watch Australian football with adoration and occasionally get into fights. Bogan girls are considered much more aggressive and uncontrollable. They while away the time by walking around shopping centers and supermarkets with a bottle of beer, constantly shouting and bullying other women.

In different autonomies of Spain, the subculture of working-class youth is called differently. Common name- kani, but in reality there are more than two dozen of them: surmanito and willi in Seville, burraco in Malaga, doncho in Granada, garrullo in Catalonia, ueso in Almeria, macoy in Extremadura, pokero in Madrid and many other names in different autonomies, cities and Selah. If we talk about clothing style, it all depends on the capabilities of each individual kani. If a cani has an El Niño down jacket, he won’t take it off even in August. Under the down jacket there must be a tracksuit. If a guy has a sculpted torso, then it will be possible to force him to wear a T-shirt only before Christmas. Both of them love it sunglasses and wear them, regardless of the time of year and the amount of sunlight.
The same goes for baseball caps. On public transport they like to play music from a mobile phone, often flamenco, raggaton or bacalao - a local subtype of club music. Of course, on public transport you can only meet those who do not have own funds movement. As a rule, this is a Yamaha Jog-R scooter with a replaced muffler - the factory one is too quiet. It is considered especially chic to replace as many spare parts of the scooter as possible so that it can go faster and make louder noise.

Nieros (also known as turros in Argentina, nados in Mexico and tukkis in Venezuela) differ from canis primarily in their hairstyle - mullets (or “sevens”, as the Colombians call them) are still held in high esteem on the South American continent. According to local testimony, the highest concentration of niero is observed in the city of Medellin, which in last years strengthens its status as the capital of the drug trade.
El Zarco, the hero, was chosen as a role model for the nieros novel of the same name Mexican writer Ignacio Manuel Altamirano and the film based on him. El Zarco is the leader of a criminal group, young and handsome, but aggressive and merciless. Like the Kani, the Nyero uniforms are fake. tracksuits Nike, Puma and Adidas. Sometimes it is supplemented with amulet or images that are hung around the neck, and a dog that sits at the feet. The angrier and bigger the dog, the better. They often shoot at passers-by's cigarettes, half coins and telephones. They listen to regular Latin American pop music, sometimes Latin American hip-hop.
In addition to petty theft and drug distribution, they sometimes make a very good living in an unusual way: they sell sweets on buses, inventing a tragic story for themselves or borrowing it from a telenovela (the wife of my father’s twin brother killed him, the family was left without a breadwinner). The older Nieros work as driver assistants, sit on a side stool and collect money from passengers, while the oldest ones become drivers and decorate their workplace icons, flags and keychains. IN free time Nyero love to play mini-football, always bare-chested, taking pictures of themselves on a mobile phone, like ordinary Russian chicks.

Rakai stand out from the crowd with their Lacoste tracksuit (sometimes Sergio Tacchini or Airness) and their habit of tucking their pants into their socks. Worn over a tracksuit waist bag(also Lacoste), and the mobile phone hangs on a cord around his neck. Like the Spaniards, French gopniks love to listen to music in in public places, without using headphones, but their playlist is slightly different: they prefer hip-hop, R&B and the forgotten tectonics.
Rakai travel on mopeds, which allows some of them to deftly snatch bags from the hands of passers-by while riding. Raki's special territory is the RER commuter trains. They are similar to our metro, only the cars are double-decker and very dirty, and the stations are longer. There they gather in huge groups of 15-20 people, squeeze the girls, swoop down as a whole group on some frail Frenchman to take away money or a phone, swing on the handrails and spit on the floor.

In Japan, “Yankees” do not refer to Americans, as in the rest of the world, but to working-class Japanese youth with antisocial habits. They are often talked about as future members of the Yakuza, but the Yankees are much more harmless and their crimes are limited to petty theft, hooliganism, vandalism and fights. The Yankees could get along well with ordinary Russian boys: both of them prefer to communicate while sitting “on the courts.”

The word "dress" originated in the 1990s thanks to the tracksuits (dres) that flooded the markets. It is assumed that previously no one united the dres into a single subculture and they were simply called hooligans or criminals. Habitat: residential areas of large cities, just like ours, built-up areas multi-storey buildings. That’s why sometimes the boys proudly call themselves blokersi, that is, “the boys from the area.” A self-respecting dress always has a pseudo-golden chain with a cross on its neck. Hairdressers don’t go to barbershops, but prefer to shave their heads bald with the help of friends or put their hair back, pouring plenty of gel on their heads. When it comes to cars, they prefer Germans; basically they can only afford old Volkswagens, Opels, and Audis. The risen karki (neck, bull neck, bros) drive used BMWs. Very young people with no experience of street robbery are forced to travel by bus. It also has its own culture: the dres, regardless of the number of brothers, occupy the last six places.
Those whose level is not supposed to sit hang on the handrails, rock the bus and pester the townspeople. Sometimes, if there is a particularly grumpy grandfather, they may give him a seat. In general, elderly people are outside the concept of suckers, so they are not beaten or “thrown on the mobile.” What’s interesting is that dres, unlike our skinny gopniks, visit rocking chairs. Fighting breed dogs (Staffordshire terriers and pit bulls) are also often adopted.

If in urban areas the honor of gopniks is defended by well-known black gangstas, then in the provinces there is a broad concept"white trash" Back in the 19th century, “white trash” began to be called poor white workers who, along with black slaves, harvested crops on plantations. Now white trash is the name given to poorly educated poor Americans whose behavior does not fit within the framework of generally accepted morality. Although they do not look like the gopniks of other countries, they are perceived precisely as declassed elements.

The most common image of white trash is a white man who lives in a trailer or at least drives a pickup truck, has his own gun, wears a mullet hairstyle, and has a lot of tattoos on his body, done at home by his boyfriends. Even if he works, he earns very little, and immediately spends the money he receives on a “new TV” instead of food for the children, and more often he simply receives unemployment benefits. He amuses himself by visiting the “village club”, where he is sure to start a fight. The habitat is throughout the country, but the greatest concentration of such people is in the south. It is distinguished by zealous patriotism and interethnic hatred.

In small towns, gangs of young people very often form, who can also be classified as white trash. Each settlement usually has several warring factions that fight for authority and influence over the residents. They are very well organized, subordinate to the oldest member of the gang, who distributes tasks to the younger members. Usually this is petty street hooliganism, squeezing money out of “boys and suckers” or burglary. Stereo systems and weapons are most often removed from homes. Sometimes they sell drugs and weapons. It is interesting that such gangs have their own codes. For example, one of the rules is that everything that happens in a gang should not affect the families of the participants.

The word "ars" appears to be derived from the Moroccan word for "pimp." Ars are young men who carelessly wander in packs under the scorching Israeli sun and pester girls. They are distinguished by aggressive behavior in public places and are not shy about speaking very loudly on the phone among strangers(apparently to show their superiority), they prefer to make circles around the city in a car with open windows, from which everyone can hear rap or Arabic music.
Arses gather in pseudo-Greek cafes, where they drink cheap wine and argue with waiters and guys at neighboring tables. The arses dress in trousers with motny and wear giant gold chains - the more chains on their necks, the better. Worn short hairstyles"under the potty." The arses are also extremely different disdainful attitude to the female sex, while each ars strives to acquire his own (or at least one for two) freeha. The word “freeha” is translated from Arabic as “joy”; it is used to describe girls without outstanding mental abilities. Israeli “freshies” are distinguished primarily by their revealing outfits.

It’s a dark, cool evening, two people are leisurely strolling through an old park on the outskirts of the city. The atmosphere of love and harmony overwhelms them, when suddenly from around the corner comes the simple phrase “Hey, kid, is there a call?” After which a crowd of guys come out to meet them, dressed in old tracksuits with fancy caps on their heads. The outcome of this meeting is not difficult to predict - today the lover in love will most likely return home without his mobile phone.

Gopniks: who are they?

So, who are the gopniks? Photos of these guys can be seen on the pages of many websites, but even more often they can be seen in crime news releases. Which, of course, is not surprising.

In fact, a gopnik is a petty criminal who leads a dissolute lifestyle. Such guys rarely act alone; as a rule, they gather in small groups. You can often find them in quiet alleys and parks, as they are rarely crowded. Seeing a lone traveler on the horizon, they immediately begin to process him. To do this, they use criminal jargon, threats or brute force.

Where did the term "gopnik" come from?

There are many versions regarding the background of this concept. Which one is true is quite difficult to determine, and besides, there is a high probability that there is some truth in each of them.

So, there are three main versions of the origin of the term “Gopnik”:

The first one dates back to pre-revolutionary times. At that time there were so-called state charity societies (GOP). Such organizations monitored the poor, unemployed and beggars who were in the territory of their province. Everyone who came under the supervision of the charity committee was popularly called gopnik.
The second theory dates back to the early 80s. At that time, the global migration of people to megacities began in the USSR, since there were much more opportunities to earn money here than in the countryside. The poorest were housed in state hostels for the proletariat, so it is not surprising that such institutions often housed all sorts of extraordinary personalities. A little later, the residents of these hostels began to be called gopniks, thereby indicating their place of residence.
Another version is based on the thieves' concept of “gop-stop,” or theft. And that’s why the guys who earn their living only by robbery and extortion are called gopniks.

The rise of crime in the early 90s

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to judicial system greatly weakened. took advantage of this moment and selected for yourself most authorities. Lawlessness flourished throughout the country, Gopnik realized this and began his wild hunt.

Gopniks, like predators, scoured the streets of the city in search of new victims. Sometimes it was a random passerby, sometimes the target was determined in advance. Indeed, in those days, local authorities quite often used the services of gopniks, so as not to dirty their own hands. For example, they were often used to destroy competitors' stores or to intimidate bystanders.

But as the years passed, they became stronger and stronger. Therefore, thieves in law began to conduct their affairs more thoughtfully, without raising unnecessary dust. And they clearly didn’t need the stupid internecine fight between the Gopniks. Therefore, they stopped using their services, much less covering up small pawns in the face of the law.

Modern gopniks: photos with caps are back in fashion

Now the cult of gopniks still exists, albeit not on the same scale as before. Today's petty criminals, as before, “live in packs” and also lead a predatory lifestyle. True, now they are quite easy to spot even in the most crowded crowd.

The modern Russian gopnik is a “clean boy” who lives “by the rules.” But these concepts are very different from those to which we are accustomed normal people. Gopnik is often devoid of even basic compassion, since he believes that there is nothing unnatural in his actions. In his mind, everything is quite simple: survival of the fittest.

Another problem is that the image of a gopnik is idealized. Thanks to TV series, for example, the same "Brigade", the criminal life began to attract many guys. Especially if their life was far from perfect.

The laws by which Gopniks live

Even if Gopnik is the scum of society, even in his world there are certain laws. First of all, he obeys Zonov’s orders, and Gopnik has no right to violate them. Otherwise, he may lose authority in the eyes of his comrades.

That is why gopniks first of all try to intimidate their victim morally. To do this, they use conversational tricks. "Who are you?" or “Why are you walking here?” Such questions are a kind of greeting, and if a person answers incorrectly, then the gopnik begins an active verbal assault. Everything goes according to a long-established pattern, thanks to which the victim turns into a sucker. But “by concept”, it’s not a sin to ask a sucker.

Who becomes a gopnik?

Often, a similar lifestyle is led by those who were born in Deprived of parental warmth and affection, they early years watched others enjoy life. This has hardened their hearts and minds, moreover, they passionately want to get everything that they were deprived of, no matter how.

Alcohol also plays an important role. Gopniks drink beer, sometimes even vodka, from an early age, because getting alcohol is now easier than ever. What to expect from a person who starts drinking at the age of 10-12?

The final factor is bad company. After all, if you live with wolves for a long time, then you begin to howl like a wolf.

Gopniks(also - gopy, gopari, collectively - gopota, gopoten, also self-name - boys) - a slang word in the Russian language, a derogatory designation for representatives of the urban stratum, close to the criminal world or with criminal behavioral traits Russian youth, as well as the youth of countries former USSR(since the end of the twentieth century), often poorly educated, coming from disadvantaged families

Origin and meaning of the word "Gopnik"

Russian writer A. A. Sidorov, writing under the pseudonym Fima Zhiganets, analyzing the origin of the word gopnik, refers to Vladimir Dahl, in whose dictionary the word gop “expresses a jump, jump or blow..., gopnut, jump or hit.” According to A. A. Sidorov, the word “gopnik” (or “gopstopnik”) refers to a street robber. The same follows from short dictionary criminal jargon compiled by Yu. K. Alexandrov, where the word “gopnik” refers to a robber. According to the help service of the Russian “Reference and information portal Gramota.ru”, the word “Gopnik” refers to slang words in the Russian language and means “a fraudster, a raider; pogromist, hooligan."

A. A. Sidorov notes that the word “gopnik” is also used to designate “beggars, tramps, homeless people.” According to Sidorov, this meaning arose even before the revolution of 1917, when in Russia there were “orders of public charity” - provincial committees in charge of caring for the “poor, crippled, sick, orphans, etc.,” who were kept in special charity homes at the expense of zemstvo funds. In this meaning, the word “gopnik” comes from the word GOP, which stands for “City Charity Society” (from the word prizor - care, care). Due to the fact that there were not enough funds allocated to help the poor and homeless, residents of charity homes were engaged in vagrancy, begging, and petty theft. Therefore, the word “gopnik” soon began to be used to describe “tramps, ragamuffins and beggars.” This meaning remained after October revolution 1917. According to the publication "Big Dictionary Russian language" ( Chief Editor S. A. Kuznetsov) gopnik - “a person from the lower social classes; tramp". According to the explanatory and word-formative dictionary of the Russian language of the candidate philological sciences T.F. Efremova, the word “gopnik” means “a degraded person, a tramp.”

IN late XIX century in the premises of the modern hotel "Oktyabrskaya", located on Ligovsky Prospekt, it was organized State Society Charities where street children and teenagers who were involved in petty robbery and hooliganism were taken. After the October Revolution of 1917, the State Dormitory of the Proletariat was organized in this building for the same purposes. The number of juvenile criminals operating in this area has increased several times. Among the city residents, the word “Gopnik” appeared, which was used to describe the residents of the GOP from Ligovka. The expression “the number of gopniks is measured in leagues” appeared, and among residents of Petrograd and then Leningrad it was customary to ask ill-mannered people: “Do you live on Ligovka?”

A. A. Sidorov notes that in the late 1920s, the “tramp brethren” used the word “gop” to call dosshouses, and their inhabitants - “gopniks” or “gopa”. Russian sociologists V.I. Dobrenkov and A.I. Kravchenko noted that the word “gopnik” is derived from the word gop - slang word beggars who had absorbed elements of criminal culture, and meant “staying in a shelter.”

Sidorov draws attention to the plot of the story “Republic of SHKID” by L. Panteleev and G. G. Belykh, in which the teacher, wanting to threaten the students, shouts at them: “You will only be a nuisance to me. I’ll tell you... Gopa Kanavskaya! Talking about the wanderings of one of the heroes of the story, the authors write: “Korolev spent the whole summer “chavvying”, traveling around railways with troop trains heading to the front."

Analyzing the origin of the word, Sidorov also draws attention to the widespread and associated with the word “Gopnik” expression gop-company, which means “a cheerful gathering of people who are not too serious and reliable, on whom it is better not to rely in a responsible matter.”

According to E. N. Kalugina (Stavropol State Agrarian University), the word “gopnik” can be used to describe “a primitive, poorly educated young man" Sociologist Albina Garifzyanova understands gopniks as “uneducated people, culturally backward, absolutely intolerant.”

Concepts that are similar in meaning: hooligans, punks, street kids, street gangs, lumpen.

The word "Gopnik" has an analogue in English language: "chav" (eng. - chav) is a widely used derogatory slang word for a young person with a low social status, who usually wears “branded” sportswear, which is also typical for gopniks.
Characteristics of representatives

As a stable expression, the word appeared in the late 1980s in relation to representatives of young people, for whom theft of property on the street was not so much a professional trade, but, as Saratov researcher Elena Bessonova notes, “part of the image of a criminalized community, a means of entertainment and a way of maintaining authority " According to the researcher, in the 1990s, “gops” appeared, for whom everything characteristic of the life of their “ancestors,” to whom the author includes criminals, became “a kind of philosophy of life, a worldview, a way to position themselves in society.” Bessonova notes that “for a modern gop, it is primarily more important to frighten and humiliate a person, to test his power over him, and then to appropriate his money.” The proximity to the criminal world predetermined the use of thieves' jargon and profanity.

IN socially representatives of the subculture mainly come from the outskirts of industrial cities. Most Gopniks came from poor, dysfunctional families.

The image and behavior of a typical gopnik are a parody of representatives of the criminal world of the 1990s in Russia and other CIS countries. Black Leather Jacket and the sports tights were adopted by teenagers directly from them. Gopniks were engaged in petty theft and extortion of money.

Representatives of the Gopnik stratum are distinguished by pronounced aggression against members of society oriented towards Western values (as a rule, against those oriented towards Western culture“informals”), and also disdainfully refer to the so-called. suckers - everyone who does not comply with “boyish concepts” - the unspoken rules of behavior that have developed in the criminal environment.

As Ramil Khanipov (Kazan State Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev) notes, “The City Center for the Prevention of Neglect and Drug Addiction of Minors in St. Petersburg designates gopniks as “informal associations” and includes them in the “aggressive” section. Discussions on Internet forums speak about the level of development of these informal associations as follows: “... from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, gopniks are to this day the most common form of youth associations,” and all the sources used emphasize the pronounced criminal and group nature of this subculture: “These are mostly fights , robberies, raids aimed at obtaining money..., alcohol and cigarettes."

The head of the Moscow branch of the LDPR, O. Lavrov, stated that Gopniks constitute a certain part of his party’s electoral base: We believe that Gopniks are the most powerful political force in Russia. People laugh at us, call us a party of marginalized people: gopniks, thieves, tramps and drunkards. But, you see, these are all people whose interests no one else represents. We set up our stations at railway stations and at one time we had a million members. When we nominated Malyshkin as a presidential candidate in the 2004 elections, people were shocked. Well, yes, he is, of course, not an intellectual, but the gopniks will vote for him.

Doctor of Sociological Sciences, director of the New Generation project of the Public Opinion Foundation, Larisa Pautova, believed in 2009 that at least 25 percent of modern youth are “gopota”. The sociologist means by this word young people who do not strive for anything, who find themselves among the masses of their own kind.

Unlike most informal youth associations (for example, hippies, punks, role-players), gopniks did not assign any names to the rest of the population and did not identify themselves as a separate group relative to the entire population, which means that they did not recognize themselves as a subculture.

In the majority youth subcultures characterized by a hostile attitude towards gopniks, reaching the point of extreme antagonism.

Researcher Elena Bessonova notes that at the beginning of Perestroika, gopniks were the only youth environment who was not interested in any music. Later, representatives of the subculture were inclined towards thieves' music, Russian chanson (Mikhail Krug, Butyrka group). Also, many prefer pop (pop music) and “boyish” rap.

There are a great many subcultures in our society. Each of them has its own specific characteristics, attributes, lifestyle, and behavior. Today we will talk about gopniks.

The term itself comes from the slang word “gop”, which means “kick, jump”. Russian language dictionaries say that a gopnik is a street robber, a hooligan.

Gopniks, they are also gopas, gopota, gopori - the designation of some representatives of the youth. They are close to the criminal world, sometimes with traits of criminal behavior. Most often these people come from low-income families. They have a low level of education. According to statistics, gopniks study or have graduated from vocational schools and technical schools. But you can also find them in schools.

Most often you can meet gopniks at entrances and stalls. A particularly favorite place is the benches in the yard. Here they discuss various topics, for example, who has the coolest car or the details of the latest fight. Communication is emotional, there is a lot of obscene language. Often communication takes place accompanied by chanson playing mobile phone. Gopniks love to squat. They often drink beer from plastic cups and nibble on sunflower seeds.

How do Gopniks dress?

Any informal culture can be distinguished by its appearance. Gopniks also have their own distinctive characteristics. Here are some of them:

sneakers counterfeit famous brands, such as Adidas, Reebok, Puma;
tights-type sweatpants, usually with one or two stripes along the seams;
a leather jacket, usually open, or a tracksuit jacket;
eight-piece cap, baseball cap or winter black hat(popularly “Chechen”).

Gopniks have a very short haircut, sometimes they leave it small bangs. It’s interesting how the Gopniks wear their hats. It is put on the top of the head. In this case, the hat should not cover the ears, but, on the contrary, rest on them from behind.

In general, these people dress in a very specific way. Complete incompatibility and extreme cheapness of clothing are the main criteria for a Gopnik’s wardrobe.

How to deal with gopniks

If you meet a company on the street that matches the above description, then you need to follow a number of rules:

Try to pass by without turning around;
You should move quickly, along a broken path (through courtyards, for example);
Staying close to passers-by will make it appear that you are not alone;
Avoid dark, deserted places;
Try not to start a dialogue with them.

If you do start a conversation with a gopnik, then you need to know how to talk to him.

How to talk to gopniks

The conversation usually takes place on their initiative. They may ask you for a cigarette, ask you to make a phone call, or ask where you are going and why. One can only guess about their intentions. However, the consequences are often unpleasant. Gopniks - aggressive people. Therefore, it is important to understand how to communicate with gopniks. Here are tips for dialogue with gopniks:

smile, kindness is always useful;
It is advisable not to answer questions, and if you have to, then speak briefly and to the point;
do not comply with any requests;
remain polite and calm;
Don’t speak in terms or fancy words.

Many people are interested in the question of how to deal with gopniks. The fact that there are more and more such people is an indicator of the level of development of the state. Naturally, there is no point in physically destroying them. After all, if you attack Gopniks in a crowd, you can make enemies for yourself. Therefore, the fight against gopniks is a rhetorical question. But don't forget about your safety. It is necessary to keep yourself in physical shape. If you do not know any type of martial arts, then classes in gym once or twice a week will help you stay in good physical shape. In addition, strength and endurance will increase. It is also useful to know street self-defense techniques. They are easy to find on the Internet and practice with a friend.

And if you are attracted by the romance of hooliganism, simplicity of speech and thoughts, and like cheap sportswear and chanson? How to become a gopnik?

It's very easy to become a Gopnik. We go to the market and buy the clothes mentioned above. Download compositions of modern thieves to your phone. We get dressed and go to the nearest yard. We approach any company of gopniks. They will definitely take you for one of their own.

So, I hope now you will know who the gopniks are. Be careful!