mazhory
{{Short description|Soviet slang for privileged children}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
Mazhory (roughly meaning "the upper ones", from French majeurs) is a slang term used in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet countries for children of privileged people, who take advantage of their inborn privileges (nepotism, cronyism, avoiding due punishment, etc.), often in an arrogant and abusive way.
Meaning
=Ukraine=
{{see also|Corruption in Ukraine#Juridical corruption}}
The term Mazhory ({{langx|uk|мажо́ри}}) is used to describe children of high-ranking, mid-ranking, and sometimes even seemingly low-ranking officials in the government, police force, judiciary or army.{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-22/ukrainian-woman-s-rape-stirs-public-vendetta-leonid-bershidsky.html | title=Ukrainian Woman's Rape Stirs Public 'Vendetta' | publisher=Bloomberg | work=Leonid Bershidsky | accessdate=10 April 2012}}[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/118030/ Charges dismissed against driver who killed pedestrian], Kyiv Post (1 December 2011){{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2021/11/3/7312599/ Обережно, діти! Як завершились найгучніші "мажорні" аварії і що з ними робити], Ukrayinska Pravda (3 November 2021)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://tyzhden.ua/News/26267 Мажори активізувалися у літній період], Ukrainskyi Tyzhden (12 July 2011)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/columns/2011/05/23/6222880/ Безкарна справа. Думки з приводу роковин загибелі Ігоря Індила], Ukrayinska Pravda (23 May 2011)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/07/6/4072272/ У Запоріжжі "мажор" розстріляв двох чоловіків], Ukrayinska Pravda (6 July 2009)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/07/14/4088151/ "Мажор", який ганяв по Києву з ножем, каже, що нарвався на "джигітів"], Ukrayinska Pravda (14 July 2009)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2010/09/16/5387729/ П'яний "мажор" у Нових Петрівцях збив студентів, машину ДАІ та трактор], Ukrayinska Pravda (16 September 2010)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2011/07/5/6357933/ "Мажор", який спровокував смертельне ДТП, бере участь в автоперегонах], Ukrayinska Pravda (5 July 2011)
{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/columns/2011/07/13/6383978/ Закони здорового глузду], Ukrayinska Pravda (13 July 2011){{#tag:ref|According to Andriy Portnov, in 2012 a key adviser on judicial affairs to President Viktor Yanukovich, law-enforcement officers and justice officials retain the Soviet-era habit of wanting to please officials up the bureaucratic ladder.[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/125714/ In Ukraine, scales of justice often imbalanced], Kyiv Post (10 April 2012) This "Soviet mentality" leads, according to Ukrainian social commentators, to a kind of inbuilt impunity for the privileged and wealthy, as well as for their children.|group=nb}} This term is also used to describe officials themselves as well as wealthy businessmen and their children. They are seen to lead easier lives than normal people, due to their parents' influence. Often they are able to avoid punishment, or receive less severe punishments than usual, when committing crimes.[http://www.theage.com.au/world/gangraped-strangled-and-set-alight-brave-oksana-loses-her-fight-20120330-1w1rk.html Gang-raped, strangled and set alight, brave Oksana loses her fight], The Age (30 March 2012)
[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/108662/ Unruly Untouchables], Kyiv Post (14 July 2011)
[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/118030/ Charges dismissed against driver who killed pedestrian], Kyiv Post (1 December 2011){{#tag:ref|The following are some of the most famous cases in Ukraine where children of high-ranking officials were perceived to have avoided, or be about to avoid, punishment:
- Murder of Oksana Makar in March 2012.
- In July 2011 security camera footage leaked to YouTube showed a young man dragging a woman by her hair around the floor of a restaurant in Luhansk. The assailant in the video turned out to be Roman Landik, a 37-year-old son of member of the Ukrainian Parliament {{ill|Volodymyr Landik|uk|Ландік Володимир Іванович|ru|Ландик, Владимир Иванович}} and a prominent figure in the region himself. It is believed that public attention to the case has helped to ensure that the justice was done which otherwise might not have been the case.
- On 16 June 2009, {{ill|Viktor Lozinsky|uk|Лозінський Віктор Олександрович|be|Віктар Аляксандравіч Лазінскі|ru|Лозинский, Виктор Александрович}}, member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), murdered an ordinary peasant Valeriy Olijnik. At the time of the murder he was accompanied by the chief district prosecutor and the chief of local police who assisted the crime to various extents.{{cite web|title=Виктор Лозинский говорил о себе: "Я – волчара!"|url=http://kp.ua/daily/090709/186300/|work=9 Огдн 2009|publisher=KP (Russian)|accessdate=23 April 2012}}{{cite web|title=Лозинский приговорен к 15 годам тюрьмы (обновлено)|url=http://korrespondent.net/ukraine/events/1209738-lozinskij-prigovoren-k-15-godam-tyurmy-obnovleno|work=20 April 2011|publisher=Korrespondent (Russian)|accessdate=23 April 2012}}{{cite web|last=Reshetilova|first=Olga|title="Мажорство" угрожает не только обществу...|url=http://www.day.kiev.ua/212384|work=13 June 2011|publisher=Day (Russuan)|accessdate=25 April 2012}} Shortly after the murder another Ukrainian MP, {{ill|Volodymyr Pylypenko|uk|Пилипенко Володимир Пилипович|ru|Пилипенко, Владимир Филиппович}}, nominated Lozinsky for a bravery award.{{cite web|title=БЮТ требует дать орден депутату, устроившему смертельное сафари на человека|url=http://www.segodnya.ua/news/14060076.html|work=22 Огту 2009|publisher=Segodnya (Russian)|accessdate=23 April 2012}} The case gained media attention as well as attention of the opposition.{{cite web|title=Партия регионов заблокировала Раду|url=http://korrespondent.net/ukraine/politics/901643-partiya-regionov-zablokirovala-radu|work=14 July 2009|publisher=Korespondent (Russian)|accessdate=23 April 2012}} Lozinsky was arrested on 1 March 2010, was convicted of murder on 20 April 2011 and had his sentence reduced from 15 to 14 years on appeal in March 2012{{cite web|title="Охотник на людей" Лозинский ждет отправки в колонию на 14 ле|url=http://kp.ua/daily/100412/333168/|work=10 April 2012|publisher=KP (in Russian)|accessdate=23 April 2012}}[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/politics/detail/102563/ Court sentences Lozinsky to 15 years in prison for murder], Kyiv Post (20 April 2011) and in March 2013 to 10 years in another appeal.[http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/media-court-reduces-lozinskys-sentence-by-four-years-321202.html Media: Court reduces Lozinsky's sentence by four years], Kyiv Post (2 March 2013) Others in the "Lozinsky case" were sentenced to various terms in prison: former prosecutor of Holovanivsk Raion Yevhen Horbenko to nine years in prison, former head of the Holovanivsk district department of police Mykhailo Kovalsky to five years in prison with a three-year probation period, and Holovanivsk forestry huntsman Vasyl Perepelytsia to four years in prison.[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/208938.html Ukraine's interior minister says Lozinsky detained], Interfax-Ukraine (12 June 2014)
[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/208921.html Prosecutor's office challenges Lozinsky's release, launches investigation], Interfax-Ukraine (12 June 2014)|group=nb}} This phenomenon is also known in other countries of the former Soviet Union.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/10159425 Ukraine rape victim searches for justice], guardian.co.uk (23 March 2012)
=Russia=
In Russia the term Mazhory ({{langx|ru|мажо́ры}}) is connected with young socialites rather than with abuse of power;{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.kp.ru/daily/23248/27817/ Как отрывается "золотая молодежь"], Komsomolskaya Pravda (1 April 2004){{in lang|ru}} [http://russia.ru/video/zs_11126/ Мажоры берутся за ум], RUSSIA.RU (20 October 2010) but the term is also connected with criminal misdemeanour of advantaged youth.[http://kp.ru/daily/25665.4/827044/ "Золотая молодежь", гоняющая на автомобилях с риском для нас, остается безнаказанной] (7 April 2011)
[http://kp.ru/daily/24565/738928/?geo=1 Поймаем тюменских отморозков вместе!] (28 September 2010)
[http://kp.ru/daily/25708/908892/ Отец отомстил мажору за гибель дочери] (24 June 2011)
[http://kp.ru/daily/25821.5/2799419/ Насильники-мажоры повезли девушек на озеро в Боголюбово] (23 January 2012)
[http://kp.ru/daily/24546/723782/ Мажоры на "Хаммере" задавили десятиклассника] (25 August 2010)
[http://kp.ru/daily/24551/728268/ Уральские милиционеры подтвердили, что автохулиганы из Тюмени – "мальчики-мажоры] (3 September 2010)
[http://kp.ru/daily/25734/2724022/ Уральские мальчики-мажоры на "Лексусе" убили трех рыбаков на "Ниве"] (12 August 2011)
All articles by Komsomolskaya Pravda {{in lang|ru}} The term "{{interlanguage link|golden youth|ru|золотая молодежь}}" (Russian: Золотая молодёжь) is more commonly used in Russia to describe this advantaged youth.[https://themoscowtimes.com/news/traffic-cops-declare-war-of-russias-golden-youth-55355 Traffic Cops Begin Crackdown on Moscow's 'Golden Youth'], The Moscow Times (15 September 2016)
{{in lang|ru}} [https://ria.ru/avto/20171107/1508345587.html?inj=1 Umayte Maru: how they want to punish Baghdasaryan and her like], RIA Novosti (11 July 2017)
==Soviet Union==
In the Soviet Union the term Mazhory was connected with children of high-ranked officials who, through their parents, had greater access to Western products than the average young person and could travel abroad more easily.{{cite book| last = Pilkington| first = Hilary| title = Gender, Generation and Identity in Contemporary Russia| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LZ-x7WJPnVgC&pg=PA213| year = 1996| publisher = Psychology Press| isbn = 978-0-415-13543-6| page = 261 }}{{cite web | url=http://libozersk.ru/pages/index/343 | script-title=ru:Молодёжные субкультуры | publisher=Libozersk.ru (Municipal Cultural Institution "Centralized Library System Ozyorsky Urban Okrug")| accessdate=10 April 2012|language=ru}}{{cite book| last1 = Rai| first1 = Shirin| last2 = Pilkington| first2 = Hilary| last3 = Phizacklea| first3 = Annie| title = Women in the Face of Change The Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China| url = https://archive.org/details/womeninfaceofcha00shir| url-access = registration| year = 1992| publisher = Routledge| isbn = 978-0-415-07541-1| page = [https://archive.org/details/womeninfaceofcha00shir/page/126 126] }}{{#tag:ref|Russian rock band ДДТ recorded a song Мальчики мажоры (Mazhory boys) in 1985.[http://www.moskva.fm/artist/ддт/song_871397 moskva.fm] Мальчики-Мажоры – ДДТ
{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.ytime.com.ua/ru/50/1915 "Мальчики-Мажоры"], ВРЕМЯ Z|group=nb}}
See also
- Fresa (slang)
- Princelings, a term for the children of senior communists in China
Notes
{{Reflist|group=nb}}
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- [http://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/mykola-riabchuk/like-fathers-like-sons-ukraine%E2%80%99s-untouchables Like fathers, like sons: Ukraine’s untouchables], Open Democracy