Hooliganism: Encyclopedia II - Hooliganism - Hooliganism in the Soviet Union and Russia

Hooliganism - Hooliganism in the Soviet Union and Russia

In the Soviet Union "hooliganism" (хулиганство, khuliganstvo) was made a criminal offence under the penal codes of the Soviet republics. In the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR), article 216 of the penal code defined "hooliganism" as "any deliberate behaviour which violates public order and expresses explicit disrespect towards the society." This article was used to cover a wide range of behaviours such as vagrancy, stalking, foul language, etc. This law was often used by Soviet authorities against political dissidents involved to public protest.

Hooliganism is still covered under the criminal and administrative codes of the Russian Federation and applicable to persons at least 16 years (the age of full responsibility, by Soviet and Russian laws). Hooliganism is graded into "Malicious hooliganism" (злостное хулиганство, zlostnoye khuliganstvo), (simply) hooliganism, and "Petty hooliganism" (мелкое хулиганиство, melkoye khuliganstvo).

"Petty hooliganism" is "subject to administrative proceedings" ("привлекаться к административной ответственности" (roughly equivalent to application of the civil law) and classified as "административный проступок" (administrativny prostupok), which is roughly equivalent to infraction). It is applied to deal with minor street disorders, fighting, and disorderly behaviour generally, mainly by urban youth. The two remaining grades are criminal offences. "Malicious hoologanism" is hooliganism committed "with extraordinary cynicism, with resistance to law enforcement, with usage of arms or attempt thereof, or committed by a recidivist."

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Hooliganism in the Soviet Union and Russia", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki