Gop-stop is street robbery, and GOP is the state hostel of the proletariat

The history of the origin of the concept of “gop-stop” causes a lot of controversy, but most people associate with it instantly: street twilight, a company of drunken punks and a crown request to give a light. However, she has many options: from “give me a call” to “lend me two rubles.” The request, as a rule, is followed by the requirement to give money, a wallet, a phone or other valuables. If a person does not agree, then fists, bats, and sometimes cold weapons are used. Sometimes marginals without a preliminary call strike, take money and disappear. The association is absolutely true. A gop-stop is a robbery, theft, an armed attack with the aim of stealing someone else's property, often accompanied by causing physical harm to the victim. There are several versions of the origin of this concept. Let us take a short excursion into history and trace its etymology.

Prerequisites for the occurrence

One version of the emergence of the concept of “gop-stop” calls us to go to Petrograd at the end of the 19th century. It was there, at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Ligovskaya Street, that a shelter appeared, which the people called the GOP. Now few know what that means. The abbreviation stands for "City Society Prizora". Beggars, tramps, cripples, street children and adolescents were sent there. Many of them already then traded with marginal activity of various kinds. The state did not have enough money for the full maintenance of the shelter. Over time, he turned into a simple rooming house, and attacks on people and robbery finally became the norm. Criminal activity in the area of ​​Ligovskaya street, due to the large concentration of a criminal element in the shelter, has increased many times. Its inhabitants were called gopniks even then. But the word has not yet become widespread. These events may have become the prerequisite for the emergence of the concept of “gop-stop”.

Origin history

After the October Revolution of 1917, the shelter was transformed into the "State Hostel of the Proletariat." However, the domestic political situation in the country - a coup d'etat and civil war - made this building a place much more dangerous than before. The level of child crime has increased. The criminal apparatus as a whole intensified. The city was filled with visitors. Many of them, as well as marginals and lumpen, were settled in the GOP. It was then that Ligovka gained notoriety. There flourished crime and prostitution. It was dangerous for more or less affluent people to appear in this area: they could not only rob, but also kill them. At that time, the word "gopnik" was widely used. It acquired a sharply negative coloring and became associated with people from the bottom, tramps, robbing civilians. Along with this word, the concept of "gop-stop" appeared. It was perceived by society as "street robbery," a surprise attack followed by theft of money. Based on the foregoing, it can be assumed that the words “gopnik” and “gop-stop” are related.

Etymology

Although this version of the emergence of the concept of “gop-stop” seems rather convincing, not everyone supports it. There is another suggestion regarding the occurrence of this jargon. It is connected primarily with the word "gop" and its original meaning. V. Dahl interpreted it as a “leap” or “blow”. And in the dictionary of S. I. Ozhegov it is indicated that the “gop” is an encouraging exclamation when jumping. According to thieves' jargon, “gop-stop” is a lightning attack with the aim of robbing a person. Indeed, street punks used to bump into people, disorient them, and then rob them. Moreover, one could often hear a cry: "Gop-stop!" The first part of the word meant an attack, the second - a demand to stop. In support of this interpretation of jargon, we can point out the related expression “gop with a wink”. It appeared much earlier and had the meaning of "attack, rob and disappear." The term gop-stop is also associated with the verb gop. What does this mean? The word is interpreted by the authors of the dictionaries as follows: "jump", "jump", as well as "wander around, wander around without a goal", "spend the night on the street." Such a connection can confirm both variants of the origin of the concept of “gop-stop”.

Further story

Each version has a right to exist. It is interesting that they do not exclude each other; rather, they can be considered as complementary. A lot of time has passed since the concept of “gop-stop” arose. And the border between versions is almost erased. The word "gop-stop" itself never completely disappeared from the urban environment, although the number of gopniks decreased or increased. This is due primarily to socio-economic conditions in the country. The lower the standard of living, the more gopniks. Along with the 20th heyday of the subculture, the 40s and 90s are considered. In these years, the concept of “gop-stop” also became relevant. Its meaning remained unchanged. The word came into widespread use thanks to the press and the well-known song of A. Rosenbaum "Gop-stop, we came around the corner", released in the 70s. There is also the point of view that, thanks to the aforementioned work, the concept leaked from the thieves' milieu to the world of mere mortals.

Use

Now exclamation "Gop-stop!" almost never hear. It is rarely consumed, and then in order to attract attention. However, theft on the street is still called nothing more than a “gop-stop”. This word is part of some phraseological expressions. “Go to the gop-stop” means “to find the victim and rob”, and “take the gop-stop” - “to rob.” From this lexical unit new verbs and nouns are formed. So, a thief can be called not only a gopnik, but also a gopstopnik, and his actions can be characterized by the verb “gopstopnit”.

Who goes to the gop-stop?

People who are engaged in gop-stop are ranked among the youth subculture, which has its own distinctive features. They wear branded sportswear, often cut “to zero”.

Gopnikov can be seen in the gateways, porches or just outside. They are usually lightly fed or slightly smoked, often squatting. Gopniks are characterized by defiant behavior and provoke conflicts. Their speech consists of parasitic words and profanity. In the evening and at night, they go to the gop-stop. This is a robbery that gopniks, as a rule, do not go empty-handed. They have a bat, knife or brass knuckles with them. Now this subculture is experiencing a period of decline, however, you can still hear the phrase: "At the entrance, the local gop-stop is hanging around again."