Discussions among Russians about the series “The Boy’s Word,” which covers the history of Kazan youth gangs during the Soviet Union, raise different opinions. Some see it as a romanticization of violence, while others believe that the authors tried to show criminal subcultures without embellishment.
Talking about the role of language in the series and what aspects are opposed to street fights, journalist and researcher of teenage subcultures from Yekaterinburg, Yuri Shinkarenko, drew attention to this discussion, writes FederalPress.
“In the evolution of language and culture there was such a period, soaked in blood, known as the “Kazan phenomenon” or “Kazan winders”. Those who watched the series “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the asphalt,” they understand what we’re talking about. Maybe not completely, but they understand,” notes Shinkarenko.
He also points out that clips from the series cut by teenagers for TikTok and used as trailers can cause mixed feelings due to their conceptualization. These fragments often show fights and conflicts, which reflects one of the subcultural characteristics.
In addition, Shinkarenko points to advertisements where the “cute” characters of the series teach the “Motal language”, emphasizing that in the series language plays an important role in the formation of the subcultural system.
The researcher also draws a parallel between the “Kazan phenomenon” and social processes in the USSR, noting that violence and aggression were born out of the chaos of poverty caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union. This chaos led to the first stratification of society into rich and poor.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
