I am lead to believe that these "gopnics" are a uniquely Russian phenomenon, although apparently the British Chuvs are a close evolutionary relation. Also since a Russian TV show was mentioned, it stands to reason that we assume Calamitus to have meant Russia rather than the US. Unless, of course, it is a Russian gopnic who broke into the US white house, which is ostensibly possible as well.

That's exactly right.

I've studied this phenomenon, since I too didn't quite understand it initially. It's not at all like a redneck, since a redneck is really just an uncultured (or seemingly so) rural dweller, most likely very law abiding. Instead a gopnic is more akin to a member of a US street gang, with some substantial differences.

A gopnic is a young urbanite who is a violent idler or a small-time street criminal with aspirations of becoming a true career criminal. Their allegiance is generally not to a gang, but based on location. So several such individuals who live within proximity of each other would form a group. The de facto leader of such a group would, from time to time, execute the commands of some local career criminals in hopes of earning their favor and a promotion.

That said, the primary activities of gopinics are not focused on crime. They seem to prefer to loiter and only attack for entertainment or for small monetary gain. To that end they rarely commit more complicated crimes than robbery and assault on the street. One characteristic that sets them far apart from American street gangsters, is that they never initiate a crime that is risky for them. Whereas a US gang member may carry out an attack alone, knowing full well that the risk of him getting caught, hurt or killed is very high, the gopinics would only attack when it is safe to do so and in superior numbers.

I'm sure the Russians will correct me if I missed or misrepresented something.

"Gopniks" are "bigots", "bydlo" is "lowlife" :)

Well, gopnik is always bydlo (быдло) (engrish time), but bydlo is not always a gopnik. Gopnik is a person, who has little to none education, constantly swearing (I **** want *** to **** eat *****), often makes crimes like stealing or mugging, drinks vodka too much, reproduces like rabbits and also you can recognize them by cheap sport clothes.

From my extremely limited understanding of Polish, is "bydlo" a word for bovine cattle and the people suggestive of such? In that case the accurate English translation would be along the lines of "scum", while the Russian would be something like "скот" or "скотина".

I don't think this subject worths investigating and researching :) Lowlife are people with nearly no intelligence. Bigots are unintelligent aggressive fanatics. One could say that bigots are part of lowlife.

While I disagree with the provided translation, the difference is in that a bigot is someone with a particular mindset. Bigotry in itself doesn't reflect their station in life. For instance a well educated member of the upper class can be a bigot, but they are most decidedly not a lowlife.

No-no, it's cool. We do use bydlo in Russian and Ukrainian (borrowed from Polish) the same way Polish people do - about "uneducated masses", so to speak, and it can be used about low-life as well.

Ah, yes! This is the definition I was searching for! Bydlo is "uneducated masses" or, as I said, people suggestive of bovine cattle. It doesn't necessarily carry any connotations of crime and wrongdoing, though.

Guys don't act like an English speaking 'bydlo' we are on Russian part of forum =D