Oseledets Explained

Oseledets (Ukrainian: оселедець, pronounced as /uk/) or chub (Ukrainian: чуб pronounced as /uk/) is a traditional Ukrainian hairstyle that features a long lock of hair sprouting from the top or the front of an otherwise closely shaven head (similar to a modern Mohawk). Most commonly it is associated with the Ukrainian cossacks.

History

A closely related haircut, czupryna, was worn by the Wends of early medieval Poland, and later by the Szlachta from the 12th until the 18th century.

During the 16th and 17th century, the Cossacks of Ukraine shaved their heads, leaving a long central strip which was often braided or tied in a topknot.

The oseledets underwent a revival among romantics and nationalists during the early 20th century.

After independence, the oseledets made a comeback among modern Ukrainians. It was seen during the Euromaidan protests of 2014.^[1]

The Ukrainian name for this type of haircut is oseledets (Ukrainian: оселедець, literally "herring") or chub (Ukrainian: чуб, meaning "crest"). There are several Ukrainian surnames derived from this word.

The oseledets/khokhol is a standard feature in the stereotypical image of a Ukrainian Cossack. This haircut is depicted in various motion pictures such as The Lost Letter that is based on works of Nikolai Gogol.

Khokhol

Historically, Ukrainians used the term khokhol amongst themselves as a form of ethnic self-identification to visibly separate themselves from Russians.^[2]

A Russian name for the oseledets hairstyle, khokhol (Russian: хохол||xɐˈxol) is commonly used as an ethnic slur for a Ukrainian male (feminine form: Russian: хохлушка | translit = khokhlushka),^{[3] [4] [5]} as it was a common haircut of Ukrainian Cossacks. The term is usually derogatory or condescending.^{[6] [7]} The word comes from Proto-Slavic xoxolъ < *koxolъ, .^[8] Accordingly, Khokhliandiya (Russian:) and Khokhlostan (Russian:) are derogatory references to Ukraine.^[9]

See also

• List of hairstyles (with illustrations)
• Anti-Ukrainian sentiment
• Chupryna
• Moskal
• Sikha
• Ukrop
• Vatnik (slang)

Bibliography

• Хохол // Словник української мови : в 11 т. — К. : Наукова думка, 1970–1980.
• (рос.)Андрей Моченов, Сергей Никулин. «Хохлы», «пиндосы», «чухонцы» и прочие «бусурмане» в Рунете и российской прессе. 28 июня 2006. MCK
• (рос.)Заява національно-культурної автономії українців Новосибірську
• Хахол // Украдене ім'я: Чому русини стали українцями / Є. П. Наконечний; Передмова Я. Дашкевича. — 3-є, доп. і випр. вид. — Львів, 2001. — 400 с. —
• (рос.)Етимологічний словник Фасмера стор.796
• Ставицька Леся. Українська лексика в російському та польському жаргонно-сленговому вокабулярі / Александр Бирих (нім. Alexander Bierich) // Субстандартные варианты славянских языков. — Київ : Peter Lang. Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 2008. — № 17 (Серпень). — С. 198. — ISSN 0930-7281. —
• Хохо́л // Етимологічний словник української мови : у 7 т. : т. 6 / редкол.: О. С. Мельничук (гол. ред.) та ін. — К. : Наукова думка, 2012. — Т. 6 : У — Я. — С. 205–206. —
• Хохол // Українська мала енциклопедія : 16 кн. : у 8 т. / проф. Є. Онацький. — Накладом Адміністратури УАПЦ в Аргентині. — Буенос-Айрес, 1967. — Т. 8, кн. XVI : Літери Уш — Я. — С. 2017. — 1000 екз.
• Б. Н. Флоря. О значении термина «Хохол» и производных от него в русских источниках первой половины XVII в. (эпизод из истории русско-польско-украинских контактов) // STUDIA POLONICA. К 60-летию Виктора Александровича Хорева. М.: Институт славяноведения и балканистики РАН, 1992.(рос.)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kozlowska . Hanna . 'Cossack' at the Heart of Kiev Protests Refuses to Give In . Foreign Policy . 27 January 2014.
2. Book: Plokhy, Serhii . Ukraine and Russia: Representations of the Past . University of Toronto Press . 2008 . 978-0-8020-9327-1 . 139–141 . Ethnic identity became the basis for differentiating between 'one's own' from 'foreigners.' Alekseev's use of the terms 'Russians' and 'Ukrainians' - terms of modern national identity - was rooted in concepts characteristic of the revolutionary and postrevolutionary era. His own records, as well as those of other contemporary authors, attest that the names most often used by peasants of the prerevolutionary era with reference to ethnic Ukrainians and Russians were khokhly (referring to Cossack topknots) and katsapy (a derogatory term). These terms, which hardly excluded negative connotations, were used to denote the two ethnic groups faute de mieux: as Rubel's own 'History' attests, Ukrainians used khokhol, inter alia, as a self-definition. . Serhii Plokhii . 1 February 2017 . registration.
3. Book: Laitin, David D. . 1998 . Identity in Formation: The Russian-speaking Populations in the Near Abroad . registration . Cornell University Press . 175 . 9780801484957 .
4. Web site: Євген Наконечний. Украдене ім'я. - [22] Хахол. ]. 2022-03-30 . exlibris.org.ua.
5. Web site: Стр. 796 . 2022-03-30 . vasmer.narod.ru.
6. Web site: Інститут мовознавства ім. О.О.Потебні Словник української мови . 2022-03-30 . www.inmo.org.ua.
7. Book: Thompson, Ewa M.. Ewa Thompson. The Search for Self-Definition in Russian Literature. 10 October 2016. 1991. John Benjamins Publishing Company. 978-90-272-7759-6. 22.
8. Book: Mel’nychuk, O. S.. Etymolohichnyĭ slovnyk ukraïnsʼkoï movy. Naukova Dumka. 1982–2012. 978-966-00-0197-8. 6. Kiev. 205–6. Etymological dictionary of the Ukrainian language.
9. Book: Bierich, Alexander . Varietaeten Im Slavischen- Су стандартные варианты славянских языков: Ausgewaehlte Beitraege - Избранные статьи . 2009 . Peter Lang . 978-3-631-57010-4 . ru.