Homo sovieticus

Homo Sovieticus is a neologism of the Russian dissident Alexander Zinoviev in his eponymous book. It describes in a sarcastic way, how people in the Soviet Union under the ruling system changed to negative. A similar term in the Russian everyday language is the word derived from the Soviet " Sowok " ( Совок ), which is also synonymous with " dustpan ".

Characteristics of Homo Sovieticus

After Zinoviev 's homo Sovieticus basically an opportunist who can put up with anything from his leadership and wants to take as little individual responsibility as possible. He carries out work to rule without their own initiative. For the homo Sovieticus stealing people's property is only a minor offense. The concept of public property is for him roughly synonymous with " belongs to no one ." Against this background, the homo Sovieticus stolen eg regular things from his work, be it for their own use, whether for resale. Through censorship and travel restrictions, the homo Sovieticus an idealized image of Western culture. The Prohibited and Exotic this culture exerts on him from an even greater appeal because it is demonized by the official side.

During and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many problems that arise in business and social life with exactly these characteristics of Homo Sovieticus have been associated. Like all dispute terms, Homo Sovieticus however, pointed, and very suitable to describe an entire society.

The Estonian- Canadian historian Andres Kasekamp represents the homo Sovieticus is also known as a man who, by the will of governance ( Kasekamp called exemplary Andropov ) no national roots and identity ( the individual Soviet republics ) is to have more and the whole USSR as his home looks. Kasekamp referring here to the song Мой адрес - Советский Союз (engl. " My address - Soviet Union " ) from 1978 to the row Мой адрес не дом и не улица - Мой адрес - Советский Союз (English: My address is not a house and no street - my address is " Soviet Union ").

Following the communist propaganda of the early Soviet Union

Friction point for Zinoviev may have been the early Soviet Union communist propaganda, is to be homo Sovieticus in stark contrast. Their new person or Soviet citizen should be a sort of " superman ": If the " exploiters order" is abolished, a " new man " is in a socialist society grow up free from falsehood, deceit, cruelty, theft, laziness, drunkenness. 1916 predicted the revolutionary poet Mayakovsky: " And he that free, after I cry, man, he comes, I guarantee it." Leon Trotsky wrote in 1923: "Man is incomparably stronger, wiser, finer ... the human average will rise to the level of an Aristotle, a Goethe, Marx. ".

Known for the presentation of new people is also the Soviet poster art.