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Soviet and Post-Independence Stereotypes

Old Soviet stereotypes included the nomenklatura, Communist Party apparatchiky, bureaucrats, the military, the proletariat, the intelligentsia, dissidents, babushky, and pensioners. Newer stereotypes emerging in the post-Soviet era include the New Rich, the mafia, entrepreneurs, and an emerging middle class.

In simplistic terms, the Soviets could be divided into the haves and have-nots. The nomenklatura or apparatchiky were the minority (some say 20%, but this seems generous) and clearly on the winning side; the proletariat (or working class) was a catchall for the rest. Only the highest ranking military officials fell into the privileged class. While these terms are used less today, for some the primary change is that many former communists are today's strongest advocates for democracy. This is because they were best poised to take advantage of so-called market reforms. While the West watched eagerly to see if and how reforms were being implemented, the Communist Party bosses managed to line their pockets by breaking up state monopolies and selling off chunks among themselves at fire-sale prices. The consensus today is that the super-rich in both Russia and Ukraine did not add any value when they usurped their present wealth; they merely redistributed their country's mineral resources among a select group of friends. To the have-nots, this talk of democracy is little more than perpetuating the glaring inequities of the totalitarian regime. Pessimistic observers remark that they have only succeeded in rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

There are also diehard communists who are attempting to make a comeback. They are playing to the nostalgic sympathies of older voters who have been left behind and whose lives are so diminished. But these communists, like the voters they attract, are mostly older generation, in a country where youth has a decided advantage.

The intelligentsia of yore is largely disillusioned by society's reforms, and their struggles to survive are nearly as acute as for the pensioners. Some have turned to more entrepreneurial, if less palat-able, professions by default rather than desire; sadly, others have turned more to the bottle.

Where are the Soviet dissidents? Most dissidents were Jews, and because of Soviet and Ukrainian discriminatory practices, they continue to emigrate in record numbers. One American Jew reported that half of her Jewish Ukrainian friends had left in the last three years.

The lives of pensioners and babushky have been irrevocably altered due to the devaluation of their pensions amidst society's vast changes. Likewise, aging Soviet military heroes sometimes wear their uniforms and medals of honor, their stoic pride now tinged with sadness. The military no longer holds the prestige of the Soviet era, and in fact is racked today with brutal hazing rituals, bad morale, and stories of obsolete (or nonexistent) equipment and insufficient fuel supplies. Formerly the Cossack tradition was cited as good training pound for the military and contributed to very high percentages of Ukrainian officers in the Russian Army. Today, sons of career military are choosing career paths different from those of their fathers. This proud Cossack tradition may be permanently displaced by nostalgia.

Bureaucracy has expanded greatly since independence, in part because the power base has shifted (for Ukrainians) from Moscow to Kyiv. However, younger generations are much more likely to turn their backs on governmental careers, including military ones. Only time will tell how Ukrainian society will adapt during the next decade; some claim optimistically that the situation will improve once the current wave of bureaucrats retires.

The greater concern is the powerful grip of the mafia in post-Soviet countries. The New Rich, or New Russians, refers to the new breed of moneyed businessmen whose most defining characteristic is ostentatious spending habits. Many will tell you that the New Rich and the mafia are one and the same. You may hear the term krisha (say KREEsha), meaning "roof, the slang for mafia protection.