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Mazhory (roughly meaning "the upper ones", from French majeurs) is a slang term used in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet countries for children of privileged people, who take advantage of their inborn privileges (nepotism, cronyism, avoiding due punishment, etc.), often in an arrogant and abusive way.
The term Mazhory (Ukrainian: мажо́ри) is used to describe children of high-ranking, mid-ranking, and sometimes even seemingly low-ranking officials in the government, police force, judiciaryorarmy.[1][2][3][nb 1] This term is also used to describe officials themselves as well as wealthy businessmen and their children.[1] They are seen to lead easier lives than normal people, due to their parents' influence. Often they are able to avoid punishment, or receive less severe punishments than usual, when committing crimes.[5][nb 2] This phenomenon is also known in other countries of the former Soviet Union.[15]
InRussia the term Mazhory (Russian: мажо́ры) is connected with young socialites rather than with abuse of power;[16][17] but the term is also connected with criminal misdemeanour of advantaged youth.[18] The term "golden youth [ru]" (Russian: Золотая молодёжь) is more commonly used in Russia to describe this advantaged youth.[19]
In the Soviet Union the term Mazhory was connected with children of high-ranked officials who, through their parents, had greater access to Western products than the average young person and could travel abroad more easily.[20][21][22][nb 3]
