Why Does Modern Russia Need the Word ‘Chinovnik’?

Abstract

This article focuses on the word ‘chinovnik’, which ceased to be a historical term after the disintegration of the Russian empire and means an official who had a rank in tzarist Russia. Nevertheless, one century later, this word is frequently used in the modern Russian language, and mostly with a negative connotation. The author analyses the reasons for the new figurative meaning of the word ‘chinovnik’ and formulates the main notional elements of this concept. The article is based on the empirical material of interviews with state and municipal officials, where they speak about their attitude to the word ‘chinovnik’, as well as the attitude of ‘common’ people towards themselves that they experience in their work.

Keywords

• чиновник
• чиновничество
• государственный и муниципальный служащий
• отношение к власти