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 Shooting a scene for the 2008 Russian filmStilyagi | |
| Years active | 1940s–1960s |
|---|---|
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Influences | Zagranitsa |
| Part ofa series on the |
| Culture of the Soviet Union |
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Stilyagi (Russian:стиляги,IPA:[sʲtʲɪˈlʲæɡʲɪ],lit. "stylish, style hunters") were members of a youthcounterculture from the late 1940s until the early 1960s in theSoviet Union. Astilyaga (Russian:стиляга,IPA:[sʲtʲɪˈlʲaɡə]) was primarily distinguished by snappy clothing—preferably foreign-label, acquired fromfartsovshchiks (those who engage infartsovka) —that contrasted with the communist realities of the time, and a fascination withzagranitsa, modern Western music and fashions corresponding to those of theBeat Generation. English writings on Soviet culture variously translated the derogatory term as "dandies", "fashionistas", "beatniks", "hipsters", or "zoot suiters".
Today,[when?] the stilyagi phenomenon is regarded as one of the Russian historical social trends which further developed during the late Soviet era (notably theStagnation Period) and allowed "informal" views on life, such ashippies,punks andrappers.
Theirapolitical views, neutral or negative attitudes toward Sovietmorality, and their open admiration of modern, especially American, lifestyles were key characteristics that slowly developed during the 1950s.
At the dawn of thephenomenon, the stilyagi look was rather a caricature, inspired by movies from abroad of recent years. It resembled thezoot suit but combined different bright colors. By the late 1950s, the look had evolved into something more elegant and stylish. Typical stilyagi wear included narrow pants, long jackets, narrow ties, bright-colored shirts, and thick soled shoes.
Usually stilyagi enjoyed popular American music of the 1940s, especiallyswing andboogie-woogie, especially the music ofGlenn Miller,Benny Goodman and the soundtrack from the filmSun Valley Serenade. The "serenade" instantly became a cult among stilyagi, and one of its songs, the famous "Chattanooga Choo Choo", served as their unofficial anthem. Stilyagi developed their own styles of dance originating fromboogie-woogie and later also adoptedrock-n-roll.[citation needed]
The first stilyagi were from the generation of young adults in their early twenties who had lived through the hard times ofeconomic crisis andWorld War II, leaving them perturbed about the future of their lives. Many of the young men returning from the army were heavily influenced by the contact with the foreign countries and moderntrends at the time.[citation needed] As a result, many of them wore clothes based on images from abroad (early 1940sromance films, daily newspapers and photographs) and young women later adopted styles from modern female stereotypes too.
The main cause of this phenomenon was the struggle betweencapitalism andcommunist-led societies.[citation needed] The enforced uniformity of the Soviet thought and the heavy weight of itsdictatorship were the only politically correct form of view, lifestyle andself-expression permitted duringStalinism. Therefore, the stilyagi sought to follow the modern ideology and morality in order to avoid Soviet pressure and its influence on society.
The stilyagi were largely repressed untilStalin's death in 1953, which let the style grow into acounterculture. By 1955, the stilyagi had acquired both respect and contempt from many layers of society (especially the then emerging Sovietupper-middle class, known as "intelligentsia") and were frowned upon in political instances, but had become too many in number to be repressed. Thus, instead of trying to get rid of them, the media and politics, including journalism, eagerly mocked their style by portraying them as ridiculous as opposed to "normal" parts of Soviet society.
In the mid-1950s, many people were arrested for making musical recordings on"bones" (developedX-ray films).[1][2] Those found guilty of manufacturing and distributing such recordings received from three to five years of imprisonment inlabour camps for what the government considered to beprofiteering.[citation needed]
In the late 1950s, the catchphrase "Today he dances jazz, but tomorrow [he] will sell [his] homeland" (Сегодня он танцует джаз, а завтра Родину продаст,Segodnya on tantsuet dzhaz, a zavtra Rodinu prodast), became the stilyagi's signature and the key idea underlying their social protest. Stilyagi were recognized as an official musical, artistic and pop culture movement that later took on further modern influences, notablyrockabilly,rock-n-roll andpop rock musical genres.
Following theinternational festival of 1957, however, the USSR became more open to modern culture. The official ban on jazz music was removed, and many records became available in stores from the 1960s. Admiration of modern music, especially the rock-n-roll wave of the sixties, met more tolerance from official ideology and little active resistance. All this contributed to the decline of the movement in the early sixties, as former stilyagi abandoned the lifestyles of their youth, while the next generation felt no need to follow such a lifestyle in order to enjoy modern culture or a nonpolitical way of life.
The influence of the stilyagi movement on Soviet-Russian culture is tremendous. Many of today's most respected Russian musicians, writers, film editors and other cultural personalities belonged to the movement, or shared its free, bohemian lifestyle. There is a 2008 Russian comedy musical film,Stilyagi, about this subculture.[citation needed]
