''Mazhory''; which roughly translates as "''the superior ones''") is a slang term used in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

and post-Soviet countries for children of privileged people, who take advantage of their inborn privileges (

nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...

, cronyism, avoiding due punishment, etc.), often in an arrogant and abusive way.

Meaning

Ukraine

The term ''Mazhory'' ( uk, мажо́ри) is used to describe children of high-ranking, mid-ranking, and sometimes even seemingly low-ranking officials in the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

force,

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

.Обережно, діти! Як завершились найгучніші "мажорні" аварії і що з ними робити

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...

(3 November 2021)Мажори активізувалися у літній період
Ukrainskyi Tyzhden (12 July 2011)Безкарна справа. Думки з приводу роковин загибелі Ігоря Індила

(23 May 2011)У Запоріжжі "мажор" розстріляв двох чоловіків

(6 July 2009)"Мажор", який ганяв по Києву з ножем, каже, що нарвався на "джигітів"

(14 July 2009)П'яний "мажор" у Нових Петрівцях збив студентів, машину ДАІ та трактор

(16 September 2010)"Мажор", який спровокував смертельне ДТП, бере участь в автоперегонах

(5 July 2011)Закони здорового глузду

(13 July 2011) 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

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

s.Gang-raped, strangled and set alight, brave Oksana loses her fight

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

(30 March 2012)Unruly Untouchables

Kyiv Post The ''Kyiv Post'' is the oldest English-language newspaper in Ukraine, founded in October 1995 by Jed Sunden. History American Jed Sunden founded the ''Kyiv Post'' weekly newspaper on Oct. 18, 1995 and later created KP Media for his holdings. ...

(14 July 2011)Charges dismissed against driver who killed pedestrian

(1 December 2011) This phenomenon is also known in other countries of the former Soviet Union.

Russia

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

the term ''Mazhory'' (russian: мажо́ры) is connected with young socialites rather than with abuse of power; but the term is also connected with criminal misdemeanour of advantaged youth. The term "" (Russian: Золотая молодёжь) is more commonly used in Russia to describe this advantaged youth.

Soviet Union

In the

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.

Notes

References

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External links

''Like fathers, like sons: Ukraine’s untouchables''
Open Democracy Ukrainian words and phrases Corruption in Ukraine Society of Ukraine Russian words and phrases Corruption in Russia Society of Russia Oligarchy Ukrainian slang Russian slang