Internet and youth subcultures. Skinheads

3/28/2017, 23:18 0 comments views

In our country, such a large and well-known youth movement as skinheads, unfortunately, is associated only with something negative - with fascism and nationalism. The fact is that this movement came to Russia not at the most successful period - in the 90s and almost completely lost its original essence.

Initially, the skinhead subculture was in no way connected with politics, the national bias appeared only at the end of the 70s (skinheads of the "second wave"). The skinhead movement of the "first wave" was born from another subculture - mods and was originally called "HardMods".

It all happened in the same good old England, in the late 60s of the XX century. And what united people, boys and girls, in this community was not hostility to other nationalities, but certain music (ska, street punk and reggae), sports (football or hockey), their own slang, violent temper and, of course, a certain manner of dressing . The skinhead subculture left a big mark in the fashion world, even forming a whole trend of the same name.

At the very beginning, the skinhead style was a cross between the style of mods, taking some details from the style of ore-boys: Sta-prest straight trousers, button down shirts with plaid print (sometimes just plain white shirts), thin suspenders, polos, bleached jeans with turn-ups at the bottom, “Tonic Suit” suits made of mohair fabric.

Many elements of style appeared among skinheads due to the strong passion of representatives of this subculture for football. Young people often gathered at football stadiums, where passions were burning in truth - not a single game was held without brawls, fights and showdowns with the police. Although the skins were simply not averse to fighting, not only with football fans, but also with representatives of other subcultures (hippies, for example) or even with each other. Then skinheads began to shave their heads bald (so that during the fight it was impossible to grab the hair), they began to wear berets or army boots, windbreakers, short denim jackets and Harrington jackets or bombers. To short haircuts or a smooth bald head, neat sideburns were sometimes left, which were carefully looked after.

Particularly popular, especially among the skinheads of the 70s, were the classic polo and bomber jackets M-1. And an integral part of the image were trousers or jeans with a turn-up, which at first tucked slightly to reveal the shoes, and then more strongly to reveal the colored socks. By the way, in addition to army boots, skinheads wore loafers or brogues, but no matter what they were shod with, the shoes were always polished to a shine so that you could see your reflection in it. Then, V-neck sweaters appeared in the skinhead wardrobe, which they combined with the same checkered button down shirts, cardigans, V-neck tank tops, Crombie coats, Glen check or houndstooth print jackets. One way or another, skinhead clothes were distinguished by practicality, functionality and convenience, which was important for the representatives of this movement, because if they did not fight, they did hard manual work, danced until they dropped at parties or cut through the city streets on scooters.

Skinhead girls did not lag behind the guys and mostly adhered to the general style, that is, they looked like “tomboys”. From girlish they could be seen in bold mini-skirts combined with stockings, skirt suits and monkey boots.

Skinheads' favorite brands were and still are Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Brutus, Warrior, Jaytex, Lonsdale, Everlast, Levi's, Lee, Wrangler, Solovair ”, “Gola”, “Adidas”, “Tredair” and, of course, “Dr. Martens. Skinhead style elements are periodically used by world fashion designers for their collections and fashion shows. Many brands of youth streetwear produce things traditional for this subculture.

The skinhead style has been adopted by many other movements, such as sweetheads, smoothies or bootboys, but even today in England there are still people who consider themselves to be classic "first wave" skinheads, know and remember their roots and adhere to the traditional skinhead style in everything. And there are just those who are impressed by their appearance and they transfer it to their everyday wardrobe.

Alas, for obvious reasons, in Russia you just can’t go out on the streets of the city dressed in the style of skinheads. When politics interferes, everything goes downhill, so we will also remember this subculture as an integral and important part of the culture and trend in fashion.

Recently, more and more often we hear about skinheads. They are talked about on TV screens, described in newspapers and magazines. And in such a huge amount of information it is very difficult to understand, to find a real answer to the question "skinheads - who are they?". Are they dangerous to society? What are their main ones Let's try to answer these questions together today.

What is a subculture

Representatives of a certain youth subculture are teenagers who dress in a peculiar way, listen to certain music, and have their own jargon. They have their own pattern of behavior. They always arise spontaneously and, most often, they try to oppose themselves to the older generation.

Representatives of subcultures are far from always aggressive, cruel, etc. The fact is that with a closer acquaintance with serious publications and books about skinheads, there is an understanding that the picture drawn in our imagination by the media representatives is very far from reality.

Skinheads - a subculture that arose spontaneously

The very word "skinhead" came to us from the English language. Translated, it means "bald head" ("skin head"). At first, Western youth became interested in this direction. Over time, teenagers from other countries also joined the movement, as a result, it spread throughout the world. Already in the sixties of the last century, everyone knew Subculture continues to exist to this day. It is worth noting that the subculture, as such, is neither an ideological nor a political organization. Only in rare cases can it be associated with any movement or party.

Russian skinheads

Today, this subculture is very popular in our country. Skinheads first appeared in Russia in 1991. They were students of Moscow technical schools and vocational schools, teenagers living in the capital and Leningrad.

Are Russian skinheads different from Western ones? Who is this? Ordinary youth united spontaneously? Not really. Despite the fact that in our country the economic crisis was even worse than in England after the war, the skinhead movement in Russia did not appear naturally. Our teenagers were greatly influenced by Western mass culture. This just explains that the offspring of ordinary locksmiths and electricians sported suspenders and dockers' boots from England.

Russian skinheads are somewhat different. The Western-influenced subculture has them shouting about their people and country in foreign languages, waving American Confederate and German flags. True, this is done by representatives of one of the subspecies of this subculture - bonheads.

Skin directions

Like any other, this youth subculture has several directions. Skinheads are different. There are red skins that have their own website and even have their own magazine called Blasted Sky. A separate direction is anti-fascist skins. Representatives of this movement even guarded the concerts of rap artists, who are considered their sworn enemies by neo-Nazis. Such an event is called skin security.

However, very little is said about the various directions of this subculture to almost anyone. Television announcers, journalists, publicists, everyone who likes to discuss fascism, neo-Nazism and racism, prefer not to mention that there are anti-fascist skins. Therefore, in Russia (and in the West too), bonheads are the most famous.

Bonheads in Russia

So, everyone knows skinheads. Who are they and why are they being talked about in all the media? The whole demeanor and style of their life is copied from Western models. They dress and look at life the same as their Western counterparts, listen to the same music and prioritize the same values ​​in life. However, there is still a difference. Skinheads (bonheads) in Russia refer to the Aryan nations not only the American Anglo-Saxon white people and European peoples, but also the Slavic peoples (primarily Russians).

It should be noted that Russian skinheads are seriously mistaken. The subculture in Europe is different from ours. In other countries, skinheads do not at all agree that Russians can be attributed to the Aryan nation. After all, we are “racially inferior” to them.

However, both Western and Russian bonheads are under the tutelage of other, "adult" organizations. They are skillfully controlled by representatives of the ultra-right and neo-Nazi movements.

Appearance

Every subculture has its own external differences. Skinheads, who are sometimes scared away, just follow certain traditions. This is how, by their standards, a real skin should look like:

1. A real Aryan with blond hair, a straight thin nose and gray eyes. Of course, there may be slight deviations from the main type. For example, the eyes can be light brown or blue, or the hair is slightly darker than light blond. However, the general background must be preserved.
2. The head must be completely shaved or cut very short. Their hairstyles are not like the hairstyles of bandits or policemen. The skinhead has the same length of hair all over the head. Bangs, strands, etc. are not allowed. The main purpose of such a hairstyle is to prevent the enemy from grabbing your hair in a fight.
3. Almost 100% of skinheads have a lean physique. It is simply impossible to meet a representative of this subculture who is obese.
4. Wear only functional clothing. First of all, skinheads are recognized by army high boots. Preference is given to the famous "Grinders". Such shoes serve as a kind of weapon. Sometimes they wear but more often they prefer black skinny jeans tucked up to their boots. The belts have heavy buckles. Some guys wear suspenders. The jackets are black, made of slippery fabric, without a collar.
5. You will never see baubles, chains on the neck, piercings on a skinhead. Even if a guy puts on a swastika pendant, you should know that this is not a real representative of the skinhead subculture. In this form, he is no longer a fighter. Not to mention, it's hard to get into a fight when your ears, lips, nose, etc. are pierced.
6. A real skinhead doesn't drink, doesn't smoke and will never use drugs. Meanwhile, skinheads often adorn bare skulls and whiskey with aggressive tattoos.

These are the main signs of a representative of this subculture. Something may vary, but in small, insignificant details.

The author continues a series of publications designed to highlight some of the problems associated with the study of the phenomenon of mind control. In his latest article “Psychological characteristics of members of destructive and terrorist (radical) groups”, the author came to the conclusion that for a deeper scientific analysis of the phenomenon of mind control, it is worth referring to the activities of “destructive organizations” the activities of groups (mini-societies), such as anti-globalists, radical ecologists, terrorists, criminal, some "gaming" communities, etc. The study of the activities of these subjects in the aggregate will help to better understand the nature of radicalism and the increase in the use of thought reforming techniques (mind control) in society.

The activities of "destructive organizations" in Russian society and the world have not yet been sufficiently considered in the context of radical asocial groups. Radicalism in all its forms and manifestations, in its scope and intensity, in its cruelty, has become one of the most acute and topical problems of states today. One of the aspects of this problem, according to the author, is undoubtedly "misconceptions" about the role of youth groups in the destabilization of modern society. The author will try to consider the activities of radical representatives of "youth subcultures" from different angles.

Unlike the opinion of the majority of the inhabitants, modern subcultures, especially youth ones, are not amorphous and monotonous phenomena, but are active "foci of resistance" to modern society with its Christian morality. These "hot spots" represent different types of escape from the "imposed" culture, and in themselves are neither bad nor good. The peculiarity of subcultures in Russia is expressed in the fact that most of the "youth subcultures", and in this article we mainly consider them, are borrowed from Western culture and are not historically established "centers" of subculture in our country.

The paradox is that the more we try to resist globalization, the more we integrate into it. We do not want to become part of the global and lose our “national” advantages, but at the same time we are actively introducing an international (international) system of subcultures in society, whose true calling (“in its purest form”) is to serve as a counterbalance or slower to globalization. "Skinheads", "neo-Nazis", "reds", "anarchists", "anti-globalists", "rappers" - they are all representatives of European and American culture.

Welcome to globalization.

Major misconceptions about the skinhead culture movement

1. Skinheads are a movement associated with fascism
2. Skinheads are a criminal group and there is no culture there
3. The problem of "violence" of skinheads is impossible to solve

In our article, we will try to refute these misconceptions, for which we will consider the current state of the "radical centers".

Evidence that there is nothing in common between the classic skinhead movement and the “neo-fascist” organizations mimicking it, except for some elements of clothing, we will consider below (“three waves of classical skinhead culture”).

History: three waves of classic skinhead culture

First wave. The "skinheads" of the late 60's were a product of the "mod culture" that was cultivated under the influence of the Jamaican culture brought to England by immigrant rudeboys. "Mods" (mods) is not only a musical style, but also a certain movement, lifestyle and manner of dressing, generated by the teenage culture of Britain in the early 60s. The eternal confrontation between "fathers and sons" flared up with renewed vigor with the advent of rock and roll (mid-50s): the young generation of Americans, who received their music, their idols and their fashion, began to realize themselves as an independent social class that did not want to obey laws of adults and trying to self-determine. English teenagers also wanted to listen and play rhythm and blues and rock and roll. This is how the fashion movement was born. Britain in the 60s was particularly affected by the economic problems caused by the post-war crisis: it was necessary to restore the industry and destroyed houses, workers and employees were needed, but there were not enough people. This forced teenagers, even from good families, to get a job, more often in offices and offices (clerks, typists, etc.). Getting their personal income, young Britons could buy outfits, spend money on entertainment. The "mods" dressed very neatly, usually wearing expensive suits. "Fred Perry", "Ben Sherman", "Lonsdale" - these clothing and footwear companies were very popular among the "mods".

This is how Teddy Boys fashion was born. Boys wear corduroy jackets with large lapels, leather ties, trousers with lapels, boots with corrugated soles; hairstyles - elongated, with hair framing the face. The girls wore skirts above the knees and sweaters with blind necks, long and straight hair. Because of this passion (dressing well), they were often accused of betraying the working class, because. The "mods" were not much different socially from the youth of the working class, but spent large amounts of money on clothing. Fashion girls loved heavy makeup and soft lipstick. Scooters (motor scooters) have become favorite entertainment. At the same time, the Teddy Boys were distinguished by a very hooligan disposition: they formed gangs that rode scooters, fought with rockers (who drove motorcycles), smashed shop windows and frightened the townsfolk.

By the way, unlike rockers, the then popular culture of youth, "mods" had representatives of both sexes in their ranks. In addition to civilian clothes, "fashion" could be recognized by a scooter (Scooter). Many who rode them called themselves "Scooterist". Scooters can also be considered a product of “mod culture”. Usually they decorated scooters with mirrors and other spectacular things. Also, football fans ("hooligans"), who also came out of the "mods", were also fond of scooters. Being a "mod" meant having everything new and original that existed at the moment, standing out from the rest. All of London was flooded with scooters.

Music was a less important part of the movement than fashion and demeanor. Basically "mod bands" started by copying American rhythm and blues standards and creating their own musical material in the same vein. The Mods played rhythm and blues and rock and roll faster, harder and dirtier than their predecessors. By 1968, the mod movement had almost died out, reborn into other movements.

Already in the early 60s, the so-called Rudies appeared - young immigrants from Jamaica who worked in low-paid jobs (shops, bars, docks, factories). They had their own fashion. And most importantly, their own music - "ska", which the British also liked. At the same time, the movement of "mods" also started.

At the same time, the first "hard-mods" (hard-mod) or "skinheads" appeared. Every Saturday, these new progressive youths went to stadiums to cheer on their favorite teams. Deadly support for football teams often led to brawls between opposing fans, leading to the legendary British "football violence". Since representatives of the "hard-mode" (hard-mod) often participated in brawls, they began to shave their heads so that in a fight the enemy could not use the hair grab. It is worth noting that the "skinheads" did not immediately separate from the "mods": everything happened gradually.

Not everyone called themselves "skinheads" (skinheads). There were names like “herberts” (from Herbert Street in Glasgow (UK)), “street kids” (that is, “children of the streets”), “spy kids” (approximate translation is “hunters”), “peanuts” (then there are "nut crushers"; they got this name for the rumble of their scooters) and others.

Contrary to popular belief, most "skinheads" around the world have never been "shaven" or "skinhead". Those who worked at the river docks kept a short "cut" on their heads, and cut their hair like that only to protect themselves from dust, dirt and lice. For this reason, "skinhead" in the mid-sixties is a derogatory nickname, something like "horned". They didn't call themselves that. They were so scolded.

When night fell, the "skinheads" dressed in the best they could afford (usually a cheap men's suit) and went to the dance halls. Here they danced to the sounds of the new music brought to England by Jamaican immigrants. Many names have been attributed to this music, including: "ska" (later called "first wave ska"), "jamaican blues", "blue beat", "rocksteady", and "reggae".

By the way, about "ryudiz-skins". Once upon a time, before joining the "reggae", very young Bob Marley was a skinhead. Bob Marley wore high combat boots, camouflage, and a clean cut.

The first "skinheads" later began to prefer American clothes "Levi Jeans" and "Alpha Flight Jackets" and narrow suspenders (braces) with "Doc Marten" boots. With the rise of football hooliganism, the dark green Alpha Flight Jackets (also called the MA1, Flight Jacket, or Bomber Jacket) came into use, allowing them to easily slip out of the hands of opponents. This is how they dressed on football days, and at concerts and on the street they wore ordinary jackets, often jeans, black suspenders and black laces. This tightening of the style of dress markedly influenced the interest of the working class in "skinheads".

Skinheads loved beer, unlike amphetamine-drinking Mods and marijuana-smoking rudeboys. The "skinhead girls" dressed like boys, cut their hair short, and also had a lot of trouble and problems with the police and other youth groups. The Rudigers, Skinhead Girls, and Mod Girls wore miniskirts, which were very popular at the time and were seen as shocking to conservative parents.

In the early 70s, "skinheads" were gaining strength compared to other youth subcultural movements. The “skinheads” of the first wave grew up: they appeared less and less on the street, started families, settled down, raised children, but still remained faithful to their roots.

Second wave of skin movement was marked by the rise of "punk rock" in the UK. "Punk rock" blew up stiff and cold England. "Punk rock" looked wild, rough, aggressive. He frightened housewives, respectable citizens and other gentlemen. But the working youth were looking for and wanting a harder and faster sound for their culture. In addition, "punk rock" became just student rebellious music, college music. And the resulting synthesis of bright, fast and rough sound became "streetpunk" (street punk), later called Sun journalist Gary Bushell as "Oi!". It was "punk", but it was "punk", oriented towards the working class. Because the roots of "Oi!" music was in the working class, the media was negative about this musical offshoot, going "punk rock" itself, as middle class music, they welcomed. The sound of "Oi!" differs from punk: simple guitar melodies are superimposed on a distinctly audible bass guitar and drums line and are accompanied by choruses similar to the screams of the football stands. Along with "street punk", the "skinhead" movement revived. Traits such as toughness and pride in the working class began to take root in "punk". Basically, the second wave of "skinheads" knew nothing about the heritage and their roots, "fashions", "ska", "rudeboys".

The old "skinheads" constantly criticized and scolded the new growth for innovation. For example, the '69 skins still wore Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, and the new '79 skins mostly wore blue Levi jeans, work boots, suspenders, and American pilot jackets. They called themselves "Bald Punks". During the 70s there were many changes in the classic "skinheads". The fashion moved from a washed-out style to better clothes than what the workers could afford - "blue collars". In the 70s, a "military" style of clothing appeared among skinheads. Other "skins" were strongly influenced by the "disco" of the seventies: they "put up their hair", put on frilly pants and boots in the style of the 70s.

With the formation of their own musical groups among the "skinheads", their political ideas began to lean towards the struggle of the right and left parties, and even apoliticality. The political right-wing groups leaned toward relations with the National Front (neo-fascists in England) and had similar ideas. The left groups were guided by the struggle of the working class, they used the communist policy. Apolitical groups often shunned both sides as they wanted to choose their own subcultural politics.

A group of representatives of the punk movement formed the “Skrewdriver” (“Screwdriver”) collective, which largely influenced “street punk” and after a while transformed into a “skinhead group”. Skrewdriver became the first band to make their neo-Nazi views known to the skinhead culture by holding a concert under the slogan "Rock Against Communism". Sympathizing with the National Front, they took a racist stance and began to create the right wing of the "skinhead movement" subculture.

"Skinheads" of the 69th model, on the contrary, remained on anti-racist positions, like most of the "skins" of those years, they were fond of "reggae" and "ska". They attended "color discos", but still called "blacks" - "darkies". They supported the ideals of the working class and left-wing politicians. England still remembered the Second World War, and therefore it was considered an honor for every patriotic citizen to remain on the positions of anti-racism.

By the end of the 70s, the National Front and the British National Socialist Party infiltrated the skinhead movement. By that time, the "skinheads" were already a strong generation. The National Front decided that "skinheads" would serve as an excellent source of new members and enhance its reputation and image. The youth were recruited as street soldiers of the National Front. A "racist skinhead" appeared on the Donahuue "show" (a popular show in England). It was a shock and a blow to the entire "skinhead movement." Together with the media, the myth of "racist skinheads" was fanned by the "National Front" and "Skrewdriver "("screwdriver"). Due to erroneous propaganda, society saw every "skinhead" racist. In our country, these consequences are especially evident. Most journalists, officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and ordinary people reinforce the misconception that "skinheads" are neo-Nazis and racists.

The bad reputation only played into the hands of right-wing parties. Many young neo-Nazis, always far away from the working class and the "skinhead culture", began to call themselves "skinheads". This is how "Nazism" began to penetrate the culture of "skinheads".

In the US, "skins" were even more distant from their roots and gravitated toward the incipient "hard-core" wave that originated in New York. "Street punk" for England was akin to "hardcore" in the US. For example, the "skins" of the early 80s knew almost nothing and had not heard about "ska" or "Oi!". But like their counterparts in England, they wore work boots, jeans, borrowing this style of clothing from the punks. The Hardcore Skins were stronger and more violent than their Punk Skins contemporaries in England. In criminal reports, they flashed more often than in the 69th. The parties, like the National Front, created the image of "footsoldiers" (stormtroopers) from "skinheads".

In the 80s, no one liked "skinheads" for their aggressiveness, society considered them radicals and hooligans. But no one called them racists until that ill-fated interview on the popular show.

The subculture of "skinheads" has spread to all countries of the world. Each of them maintains an independent history of the skinheads' goals, their values, and their origin story. The definition of "skinhead" varies from country to country.

In the mid-1980s, Europe was shaken by a severe crisis, which can be considered a consequence of the "crisis of the 70s" that had erupted earlier in America. Governments played the Cold War; businesses closed; there was no money, and the standard of living fell more and more. This was also reflected in the music: 84 year old bands began to compose more evil songs than those that had sounded before. The musical subculture reflected the mood in society - tension and distrust of governments and their policies.

Politicians of various states have carried out a successful campaign to "advertise" the "skinhead atrocities" among the population of Europe, about their fascist "essence", and so on. As a result, the attitude of society towards the "skinhead" movement changed to a very negative one, and the movement began to wane. In the eyes of the townsfolk, "neo-Nazi" organizations have increasingly become associated with the "skinhead" movement. This continued until the end of the 80s.

In the late 80s and to this day, a new big manifestation of the "traditional" skinhead values ​​of the 60s began. It happened in England, America and most of Europe. It entailed a new confrontation between classical (traditional) and non-traditional (neo-fascist, anarchist and communist) skins.

The third wave was the skinheads of the mid-90s. There was a sign of "Civil War" in the "skinhead movement". Many of those who became "skinhead" more than 15 years ago began to appear on the streets, to participate in the development of "skinhead culture". 17-18 year old "punks" began to shave their heads, getting rid of the "Iroquois" and "garbage heaps".

Modern "skinheads" of Europe and the West are a mixture of "hard-mod / rudeboys" (hard mods / rudeboys) of the late 60s, and "punk / hard-core" (punk / hardcore) skins of the early 80s . Their musical tastes range from "reggae" to modern "hardcore", as well as "ska", "rocksteady", "rockabilly", "punk", "Oi!". Some only listen to "reggae", some only listen to "Oh!" or "punk". Of course, they are interested in their roots, the culture of “mods”, “scooters”, etc., but still, for most skinheads of the late 90s, this is an example from history.

In our country, the situation at the moment is developing in the following way: we have few "red skins" (communist), SHARP skins, classic (traditional) skins. In Russia, the word "bonhead" is almost never used. "Bonehead" (bone head) is a term used by classic and other skins to refer to any "were-skinheads" who hold racist or neo-fascist views. The concept of "skinhead" in 99 cases out of 100 in Russia is associated with neo-Nazism and racism
.
For reference:

1. SHARP-skins are "skinheads against racial prejudice" (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice), they appeared in New York (USA) in the late 80s. Movements that share the ideology of "skinheads against racial prejudice" are SCAR, SPAR, RASH, HARP and others. There are Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese movements from other countries, whose ideology is similar to SHARP skins. They wore "S.H.A.R.P." with a Trojan helmet - the same orange badge that Trojan Records put on their records thirty years ago. The Sharps were proud of the fact that the fire lit by skinheads back in 1969 burns in their hearts.

2. "Redskins" or "RASH" - "Skinheads against Nazism and the power of capital" or "Red and Anarchist Skinheads". They appeared independently of the "sharps" a few years after them. RASH are leftist, have no nationality, are against racial purity and support anyone who needs their support. Their very name suggests that they are anarchists - they want freedom of action for everyone and everyone and strive to eliminate any pressure on people.

If we consider schematically the history of the "skinhead movement", then we can come to the conclusion that neo-fascist organizations that use elements of the culture of the "skinhead movement" are by definition not.

Developing over the three stages we have discussed above, the contemporary skinhead culture movement has been forced to remain a non-political (apolitical) and non-racist movement. However, this position led to the emergence of two “twin movements”, which use elements of the classical (traditional) “skinhead culture”, but are not them.

The red skinhead movement is a group of organizations representing different political and social groups, with different goals, but having one common and important goal - the destruction of the bonhead movement. Even 15 years ago, the “red skinhead” movement could be described as a radical wing of the classic “skinhead movement”. But during this time, the “red movement” has gone too far from being apolitical, and every year it grows more and more closely with youth organizations of the communist and anarchist persuasion. Representatives of the "Reds" criticize the representatives of the classical (traditional) "skinhead movement" for their apathy.

The bonhead movement is an artificially created neo-fascist organization of the late 60s. Over the past decades, this movement, with elements of the skinhead movement fashion, has transformed into an active radical wing of neo-Nazi and racist organizations. At the moment, apart from the common fashion elements of "boneheads" and "skinheads", there is practically nothing in common.

It is worth noting that the movement of classical (traditional) skinheads promotes apoliticality, are not racist organizations and are more transformed into their initial stage - into an informal musical movement with their own attributes, culture of behavior and consumption. However, "classic skinheads" continue to be adherents of certain values:

You must be a patriot of your country;
- You have to work;
- you have to study;
- you can't be a racist;

Misconception #1 “Skinheads are a movement associated with fascism”

As we have established, having examined the history of the emergence and development of the "skinhead" subculture, the "skinhead movement" has nothing to do with neo-Nazi movements and neo-fascist organizations.

It is safe to say that "skinheads" fell victim to political intrigues in the late 70s, where neo-fascist parties successfully used the popularity of the movement among young people to increase the number of their adherents. "Traditionalists" became a victim of their absolute apoliticality and failed to promptly respond to the political provocation properly at the necessary moment. This situation repeated itself at the end of the 80s, when the state politicians of European countries launched a campaign against the "skinhead movement" as the culprit of all problems. It is worth noting that these are standard political tools that are very often used in politics in order to distract voters from the question "Where do our taxes go?" the question "Who is to blame for all the problems?".

Continuing to be an apolitical and youth subculture, the "skinhead movement" will be constantly considered by the media and the townsfolk as part of neo-fascism.

In order to refute the misconception that "skinheads are a criminal group and there is no culture there", let's look at music, fashion and tattooing in all the movements discussed in this article.

Music

We will not consider this direction in depth, because. We talked about it in the previous part of our article. Here are the differences in the musical preferences of "bonheads" and "skinheads".

It can be seen from the table that there are no common musical preferences for these two movements. It makes no sense to specifically consider the musical culture of the “skinhead movement”, because our work pursues other goals.

Fashion

"Suspenders" are an integral part of skinhead clothing. Suspenders were already worn by "hard mods" in the mid-60s, along with high boots and cropped jeans, even before the nickname "skinhead" (skinhead) was born. Such clothes were called "working class style". The presence of suspenders has always meant belonging to the working class.

Workers and laborers at the river docks dressed this way as early as the beginning of the 20th century. Suspenders were needed so that the shirt would not catch on anything. The word "braces" is translated from English as "fasteners", and in relation to clothing it can be translated as "construction fasteners".

Most of the "skinheads" of the first wave were engaged in heavy manual labor. The further they went, the more they moved away from the "always new and sophisticated clothes" worn by their predecessors - "fashions". Those who worked with hand winches on the docks needed durable and comfortable clothing that could, above all, ensure their safety. Boots with a strong steel toe could protect the legs from falling boxes or other heavy objects, braces pressed the clothes to the body and did not give her the opportunity to catch on anything or get into the screw winches. Jeans or simple canvas trousers made of strong fabric had strong double seams, and, finally, the shirt and jacket had pads on the shoulders that protected workers from rain and damp sea wind.

The names for clothing are notable, for example, a coat or jacket with an overlay on the shoulders was called a "donkey Jacket". The word "donkey" is translated as "winch", and the combination of these words means "winch jacket". Thin suspenders were not called "suspenders", as usual, but "braces" - this word had the additional meanings of "brackets" and "construction fasteners". The boots were called "boots", not "shoes", and so on. Skinheads wear solid-colored, unpatterned suspenders, usually black or dark red; brightly colored suspenders are less common. They are always thin, no more than two fingers wide, folded together. It's good if they have shiny locks and crocodiles.

By the way the suspenders are fastened on the back, there are two varieties - X and Y. Suspenders in the 60s looked like "X", today "Y" is more common. But it doesn't matter: someone wears X, and someone wears Y. Sometimes they make X turn into Y by fastening ribbons on the back nearby.

For the first time, a detailed description of the clothes of traditional skinheads was given by Hard as Nails and Zoot magazines in Scotland. They drew the attention of readers to the fact that skinheads at all times dressed differently. They had different clothes for the street and weekends. Meeting each other, they sometimes could not understand who they were dealing with, the differences were so strong. But there was nothing strange - no two people are the same. And no two skinheads are the same.

Other skinhead clothing, dating back to the days of mods, is meant to go to a concert or make a good impression. This is an English suit, with which you can wear all the same boots and suspenders, and with which a long coat is required in cold weather. Sometimes a hat is worn on the head, like those worn by the Rudie Boys.

At various times, skinheads have laughed at themselves by drawing monkeys in Ben Sherman shirts and Doctor Martens boots, blue work jeans and docker suspenders. Thus, they tried to show that it was not only about clothes. There must be something else in your head.

The skinhead community loves tattoos, but there are a limited number of images on this topic. Here are the most common ones.

A flying swallow tattoo means freedom. Often there are laurel wreaths of glory and glowing inscriptions "Oi!" - such drawings mean a lot to those who wear them. Sometimes drawings well known to other skinheads or record covers are reproduced.

Here is another example: this is the legend of the crucifixion of Christ, portrayed in this way. It means suffering, its original meaning is "crucified by capitalism". This drawing reflects the beliefs of the first wave of skinheads.

Its continuation is a "skin" rising from the grave, on the stone above which the inscription "Oi!" or a laurel wreath of glory. This drawing means that there is no death, and that the tradition will never be stopped.

The birthplace of these two drawings is Scotland, the city of Edinburgh. In the Middle Ages, Catholic "myths" about ghosts and spirits were widespread there, as now about skinheads. The inhabitants were so sure of their existence that they even covered the graves with stone slabs. In the twentieth century, when hypocrisy became clear, these drawings appeared.

Quote: “Killed by modernity, he will return” is a protest against Catholic morality, where everything is controlled by external forces: a good god, a carrot stick and money. Against a world in which no one owes you anything from the start. And where no one cares about you. This only applies to traditional skinheads and only matters to some of us. As a rule, we do not like to talk about it. And let's not discuss it now." .

Most skinheads have a negative attitude towards patches. It is considered indecent to demonstrate one's belonging to the movement with stripes. Quote: “Most of us do not need patches - if you are aware of your belonging to us and know how to dress, your appearance will be more than enough. Sparkling boots, rolled up jeans, a plaid shirt and suspenders - what could be better than such clothes in the world? Why even stripes?

The bonhead movement adopted some of the fashion elements of the skinhead movement, such as shoes, jeans, suspenders, hairstyles, and jackets (usually leather). In addition, various stripes with Nazi swastikas, etc. are welcomed in the bonhead movement. (rice.)

Bonheads have a very obsessive attitude towards tattoos, as a rule, they try to make them a lot and of an aggressive fascist nature. Neo-Nazis have a definition of an “enemy” in terms of fashion (clothes and style), which must be destroyed. According to this scheme, it is necessary to search for and destroy the "enemy of the race." The movement of the traditional "skinheads" never had such a "portrait" and most likely never will. Among the "red skinheads" such an "enemy" is the "bonehead".

The traditional drink of the "skinhead culture" is "beer" ("ale"), the use of strong drinks is not welcome.

В движении «бонхэд» не существует какой-либо культуры употребления напитков, кроме запрета употребления «ниггерских» напитков. Russian "bonehead" prefers to use a true Slavic drink - vodka.

Misconception No. 2 “Skinheads are a criminal group and there is no culture there”

Consider the concepts of culture and subculture. Subculture- a system of values, behavior patterns, life style of any social group, which is an independent holistic formation within the framework of the dominant culture.

culture- a set of material and spiritual values, life ideas, patterns of behavior, norms, methods and techniques of human activity:

Reflecting a certain level of historical development of society and man;
embodied in subject, material carriers and transmitted to subsequent generations

Note that the skinhead movement has all the necessary subcultural elements. It is impossible to call a subculture a criminal group, just as it is impossible to call the activities of a criminal group a manifestation of a subculture. The bonhead movement is also a youth subculture, but it has nothing in common, except for suspenders, boots and hairstyles, with the skinhead movement.

The situation is frightening when hundreds of crimes are committed by "boneheads", and for them there are all the necessary articles in the administrative and criminal code of the Russian Federation, and law enforcement agencies shrug their shoulders and say: "So these are skinheads - what can we do ?!".

One can argue about the responsibility of the state to citizens for a very long time, but only the state has the monopoly right to use force (violence) to protect citizens. When officials refuse to fulfill their duties and offer citizens to cope with their problems themselves (without violating laws), this spurs a wave of myths and fears about the impossibility of solving the problem of “riot of skins”. After all, if the state cannot, what can a citizen do? Everyone has the right to be afraid.... And it's scary. After a while, philistine myths and fears increase the problem and complicate it.

Let's try to consider delusion No. 3 "The problem of skinheads' rampage is impossible to solve."

Misconception No. 3 "The problem of the" rampage "of skinheads is impossible to solve"

We agree that the problem of growing radicalism and illegal behavior cannot be solved. Moreover, it is impossible to decide: if you do nothing and do not understand what you are facing. Let's try to analyze what we are faced with and what can be done.

Let's try to look at the problem from different points of view. Let us quote officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (//News.ru, February 4, 2003). “The tactics and methods of their [bonhead] actions have changed. Skinheads have switched to tactics, as we call it, "point strikes." According to the representative of the GUUR, skinheads do not have a single organization. “There are many varieties in the movement itself - Nazi skins, privateer skins and others. The only thing that unites them is the incitement of ethnic hatred by calling for violence.”

“There are between 15,000 and 20,000 skinheads in Russia. The movement includes disparate groups whose numbers fluctuate. Thus, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there are about 5,000 active participants in this movement and about 100 leaders of various levels in the capital region. In St. Petersburg, there are about 3,000 skinheads and 17 neo-fascist organizations on the preventive list. ...According to him, various media provide them with considerable support in this. And, as a rule, agitation acts on 13-17-year-olds. That is why, according to Komarov, the Ministry of Internal Affairs concentrates its work "not on bringing the maximum number of extremists to criminal responsibility," but on operational and preventive activities. In particular, last November an attempt by neo-fascists to hold a congress dedicated to the birthday of the organizer of the skinhead movement, Ian Stuart, was thwarted, in which about 400 people wanted to take part.

According to RIA Novosti, in total in 2002, under Art. 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (inciting ethnic, racial or religious hatred), 71 criminal cases were initiated, 31 of them were sent to court, 16 people have already been punished.”

Let's look at some facts. Here are the titles of books and manuals "Hooligan style of hand-to-hand combat", "Use what is at hand", "Fight as it is", etc. All of these are detailed guides on how to conduct street fights, how to use improvised means, how to inflict maximum injury and much more. These reference books are studied and intensively studied. These guides are openly sold. Let's give some examples as an example: "You should wear a razor so as not to injure yourself ... ... it is better if the blade is fixed with tight-fitting pieces of clothing ... ... removing the weapon should not take much time ... ".

“...The razor strikes along their trajectory resemble glancing fist strikes .... ... eyes, forehead skin (bleeds heavily - blinds), neck, large arteries of the arms and legs, stomach .... ... the muscles of the peritoneum, often covered with a thick layer of fat, break through with a powerful circular blow ... ... there are no invulnerable places for a razor ... ... but it heals slowly, unlike wounds inflicted by a blunt weapon ... ".

“A headbutt to the face is much more dangerous than the previous blows - delivered quickly and at close range, it is almost irresistible. ... make a throw with a foot in the stomach ... ... keep the enemy at a distance convenient for such an attack ... ".

Neo-fascist groups study and constantly practice these tips. If we generalize the experience of creating radical groups, for example, blackshirts in Germany, brownshirts in Italy in the 30s, and modern youth groups, we can find a lot of identical signs. In the process of turning ordinary people into "stormtroopers" in the 30s and at present, the transformation of young people into members of organized criminal gangs has a lot in common.

According to Lifton's "doubling" concept, the best way to consolidate a new role model of behavior is to put it into practice and recruit new members. Based on this, it can be assumed with great confidence that every year the neo-fascist movement is becoming more cohesive and coordinated, and the number of attacks and crimes against "racial enemies" is also growing. The statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and human rights organizations prove this.

It is worth noting that "bonheads" and "red skinheads" are actively fighting for an important resource to replenish their ranks. Football fans, mostly young people, are the best source for replenishing the ranks of their group. Practically at all major football matches, well-planned and prepared actions take place - beating and attacking the fans of the other team. Perhaps someone will say that the author exaggerates the problem of football fights, but then how to explain that every year the number of law enforcement forces at football matches is increasing (including riot police)?! How to explain the fact that the fans of the other team are taken out on special buses, accompanied by enhanced police protection?! “Security measures,” you say, and you will be right.

I can object that only by protecting and allowing the activities of criminal youth groups under the guise of certain subcultures, the state deepens the problem of the growth of radicalism in youth subcultures.

Football massacres are a phenomenon of recent years, and this problem did not exist before. What are officials doing wrong? What allows the problem to take on a larger scale? Misunderstanding and struggle not with the source of the problem, but with the consequences. At the moment, methods of misleading society are being used. We are offered a new brand of evil - "skinheads", equating it to an incurable disease, such as "AIDS".

In this article, the author set the goal of explaining the brand "skinheads" not from the position from which it is offered to us by officials and many media outlets, but from the position of a youth subculture that is not directly related to the lawlessness being committed. "Skinheads" is a youth subculture that arose as a protest against public morality and which is focused on its values. I note - on civic values, among which there will once be no place for racial intolerance.

There is a problem of the lack of control over the existence of illegal radical, often criminal groups that call themselves "Aryan skinheads", but, in fact, are neo-Nazi groups. Perhaps officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation should turn their attention to the principle of "justice and irreversibility of punishment", and perhaps in the near future our country will stop beating people of a different, dissimilar culture.

With hope for the best

Vershinin Mikhail Valerievich
Psychologist, exit consultant
[email protected]
09.01.2004

By publishing this article, the Author does not pursue commercial purposes, but acts solely within the framework of scientific research, expressing a subjective opinion without the purpose of discrediting the mentioned legal (individual) persons, and reporting deliberately false results. The author does not pursue the goal of popularizing his ideas in the light of the consequences of the terrorist acts that took place in Russia and the world.

Note. Author: J. Lifton is an American psychologist who developed the concept of personality duplication in his book Nazi Doctors: Medical Murder and the Psychology of Genocide. This research led to a more accurate understanding of how people who are mentally and physically healthy, educated and idealistic can quickly become fanatics of movements whose entire ideology and activities directly contradict their original views of the world. Such a sharp and deep resocialization of the individual is the result of a specific adaptive reaction under conditions of extreme group pressure and manipulation of basic human needs. Lifton called it "a doubling". Doubling consists in dividing the system of one's own "I" into two independently functioning wholes. The separation occurs because at some point the member of the group is confronted with the fact that his new behavior is incompatible with the pre-group self. The behavior demanded and rewarded by the totalitarian group is so different from the "old self" that the usual psychological defenses (rationalization, repression, etc.) are not enough for life functioning. All thoughts, beliefs, actions, feelings and roles associated with being in a destructive cult are organized into an independent system, a partial "I", which is fully consistent with the requirements of this group, but this does not happen by the free choice of the individual, but as an instinctive reaction of self-preservation in almost unbearable - psychologically - conditions. The new partial "I" acts as a whole "I", eliminating internal psychological conflicts.

Who are skinheads? Where did this name come from?

Many people are familiar with this slang word - "skins". Quite often it is used with a threatening connotation, and this is not surprising. Information about attacks on migrants, refugees and foreigners in general, especially those who differ from the majority of the population in their appearance, is abundant in the media.

However, it is worth thinking about who skinheads are, and whether they are all the same. To be honest, initially this movement had nothing to do with politics, especially the far right. It was one of the youth brands, and it was followed by fans of some of the musical trends of the 60s, especially soul and reggae (by the way, rhythms of African and Jamaican origin). The "britologists" had their own external signs: they liked to wear rolled up jeans, special cut sweaters and plaid shirts, as well as boots with thick soles. They had nothing against blacks and in general representatives of other races or nationalities. But time passed, and the question of who skinheads were could no longer be answered so unambiguously. The phenomenon was not harmless at all. The traditional "skinheads" who continue to dance to Jamaican rhythms remain, but punk rock fans have also appeared. In addition, these groups began to divide along political lines, and therefore both the ultra-right (Nazi skinheads) and the ultra-left (anarchists and others), and even anti-fascists, appeared.

But the former acquired a very, very notorious reputation.

Who are Nazi skinheads?

Having appeared in the UK in the early 80s, these far-right young people declared that they shared the ideas of a racial war against "outsiders" (migrants, representatives of other races and ethnic groups, such as Jews and Roma), as well as "traitors" ( those who are tolerant of the "enemies of the whites", people with a different sexual orientation, and so on). They consider themselves to be something like crusaders, and among their cult heroes they have idealized SS officers and medieval Templars (moreover, not historical, but rather heroes of myths).

For an idea

These skinheads, whose photographs are presented in this article, gradually merged with another subculture - the so-called football hooligans. The stable groupings of the latter (they are called "firms") did not necessarily have any political overtones. However, those of them who became interested in the ideological design of their activities mainly adopted extreme right-wing, racist views. This splicing of Nazi skinheads and football hooligans greatly enhanced the human potential of both strands and helped them structure their skills in tracking down and attacking people. They have their own slang expressions, such as “scouting” (reconnaissance), “jump” (a sudden, unmotivated throw at the victim from different sides), “casual” (youth clothes that are not conspicuous, but whose brands are members of different groupings can recognize each other), and so on. Skinheads appeared in Russia in the 90s of the last century, and since then this direction of the subculture has gained quite a serious force, playing a serious role in activating the neo-Nazi movement in general.

It is the 19th century in the yard, and the appearance on the streets of a representative of one or another youth subculture will no longer surprise anyone. What is a subculture in general?

Subculture (from Latin - “subculture”) - a part of a culture that differs from the majority; social carriers of this culture.

Nowadays, there are a large number of diverse youth subcultures. The most famous are hippies, rastamans, emo, punks, goths, bikers, skinheads and others. Let's talk about who skinheads are.

The origin of the skinhead subculture

If we look a little into the history of the appearance of this subculture in Russia, skinheads (or skins, as they are called by the people) appeared in our country in 1991. Moreover, this movement arose under the influence of the culture of the West.

In modern society, there is an opinion that skinheads are supporters of Nazi ideology. But it is not so. There are several directions of this subculture:

• Traditional Skinheads. They are apolitical. Listen to reggae and SKA.
• S.H.A.R.P. (Skinhead Against Racial Prejudices). against racial prejudice.
• R.A.S.H. (Red & Anarchist Skinheads). Adhere to the ideas of anarchism, communism, socialism.
• NS-skinheads (Nazi-skinheads) / Boneheads (Boneheads). Adhere to National Socialist ideas.
• Straight edge skinheads (sXe Skinheads). Adhere to a healthy lifestyle, believing that alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are bad.

Unfortunately, in our time in Russia, skinheads are neo-fascist groups. And it's a little frustrating and scary at the same time. As it has already become clear, the skins have a shaved head, they mostly wear jeans, army boots. Often you can see tattoos on them: Hitler's swastika or a cross in a circle (a variant of the Celt).

Initially, skinheads listened to SKA and punk rock; now they listen to rock and patriotic music, because they consider themselves true patriots of their country.

Skinhead ideology

And who are the skinheads fighting against? What is their ideology?

Who do skinheads beat? This subculture adheres to the ideology of positioning itself as a national liberation movement; consider that the white-skinned race is the highest; they are true racists and xenophobes. Therefore, skinheads are against Caucasians, Tajiks, Armenians, Chinese, Gypsies, Jews and blacks.

To sum it all up, skinheads are a group of young people who live according to their own specific laws, have their own paraphernalia and symbols, and listen to certain music.

If you want to watch films about skinheads, then I can offer you some. For example: "American History X", "Made in Britain", "Fanatic", "This is England", "Skinheads", "Peria", "Skinhead Position" and others.

I also want to say: do not forget that inciting hatred on the basis of national race provides for criminal liability. Do not spoil your life and your loved ones! Think before joining the ranks of skinheads.