What is a zhivopyrka?

Sometimes, officials and businesspeople use words whose meanings are unfamiliar to ordinary citizens. For example, few people know what "zhivopyrka" means. It's believed that Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov first used this word back in the early 2000s. Since then, it can be heard in speeches and interviews by politicians and business leaders. So what does this funny word mean, which sounds so foreign when spoken by "big shots"?

The word "zhivopyrka" comes from thieves' slang. In criminal circles, it denoted a place with a large number of people, making noise and arguing. It could refer to a cafeteria, a café, or a teahouse. It could also refer to a cramped and therefore uncomfortable place. In Leningrad, the word was used to describe one-room apartments in the so-called "Khrushchev-era" buildings.

These days, the term "zhivopyrka" has become quite common. Politicians use it to describe small parties that participate in elections as "spoilers." They use them to divert votes and create the appearance of healthy competition. Less commonly, it's used to describe dubious sources of information. For example, former Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media Alexey Volin, commenting on the news about the decline of the Internet Freedom Index in Russia, said:

This word also has a meaning in business slang. It's a small company used for opaque, often illegal, activities and tax evasion. Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov spoke of these very entities when describing the situation in the air travel market, which was previously rife with companies cutting corners wherever possible and conducting dubious operations:

So this word has many meanings. It's important to remember that they all have negative connotations. Therefore, if something is called a "fuck-it-all," nothing good can come of it.