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The practice of ''khaltura'' emerged in the Soviet system as a response to economic constraints. It demonstrated that without seeking side jobs, even educated professionals were not able to earn enough money to meet a desired standard of living. On one hand, the practice of ''khaltura'' was prohibited by the government. All spheres of life were regulated by the government and individual freedoms were restricted. Salaries were established by the state. Opportunities for career development were also limited as people did not have the freedom to choose their place of work. The government allocated a set number of employment opportunities in educational institutions and graduates were then assigned to workplaces all over the Soviet Union (Seichas.ru 1968). Casual things as simply applying for a different job to get a higher salary were unimaginable in the Soviet reality. Moreover, behind the Iron Curtain, seeking job opportunities abroad was not an option. The government restricted the development of the business sector by banning all types of private initiatives. Paradoxically, this level of state regulation created an environment where it was impossible to survive without engaging in practices such as ''khaltura'', which were considered objectionable by the state itself. | The practice of ''khaltura'' emerged in the Soviet system as a response to economic constraints. It demonstrated that without seeking side jobs, even educated professionals were not able to earn enough money to meet a desired standard of living. On one hand, the practice of ''khaltura'' was prohibited by the government. All spheres of life were regulated by the government and individual freedoms were restricted. Salaries were established by the state. Opportunities for career development were also limited as people did not have the freedom to choose their place of work. The government allocated a set number of employment opportunities in educational institutions and graduates were then assigned to workplaces all over the Soviet Union (Seichas.ru 1968). Casual things as simply applying for a different job to get a higher salary were unimaginable in the Soviet reality. Moreover, behind the Iron Curtain, seeking job opportunities abroad was not an option. The government restricted the development of the business sector by banning all types of private initiatives. Paradoxically, this level of state regulation created an environment where it was impossible to survive without engaging in practices such as ''khaltura'', which were considered objectionable by the state itself. | ||
''Khaltura'' and [[Shabashniki|''shabashka'']] are sometimes used as synonyms, but there are important differences between them. ''[[Shabashka]]'' denotes ‘moonlighting brigades undertaking short, illegal or semi-legal contracts in the Soviet Union’ (Erofeev 2019) and refers | ''Khaltura'' and [[Shabashniki|''shabashka'']] are sometimes used as synonyms, but there are important differences between them. ''[[Shabashka]]'' denotes ‘moonlighting brigades undertaking short, illegal or semi-legal contracts in the Soviet Union’ (Erofeev 2019) and refers to a seasonal job, related to manual labour, mostly popular in the areas of construction and renovation. ''Khaltura'' depends more on the opportunity than on the season and includes both manual and intellectual labour: a quick renovation task such as hanging wallpaper, but also writing a text. ''Shabashka'' is planned, can be of semi-legal nature and requires migration of the labour force. ''Khaltura'' is spontaneous and does not require migration of the worker. It is not perceived as illegal but as a socially acceptable bending of the rules. ''[[Shabashniki]]'' can work for the state (as in ''kolkhozy'', the Soviet collective farms) whereas ''khalturshchiki'' usually work for a private individual. ''Shabashniki'' form groups to work for long periods of time whereas ''khalturshchiki'' work individually on relatively short-term tasks. Today the term ''khaltura'' is widely used and ''shabashka'' is losing its relevance. | ||
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''Khaltura'' has been described as a ‘mysterious, typically Soviet, unseen in the civilized world phenomenon, where low quality is the key precondition of high income’ (Dovlatov 1999). The fact that ''khaltura'' does not lose its relevance within the Russian context today was emphasized in Dmitry Bykov’s satiric political poem that comments on Putin’s imprisonment of a political critic: ‘we have a generous nature, which encompasses both villainy and honour; we have ''khaltura'' and we have ''kultura'' [Russian word for culture]…’ (Bykov 2014). | ''Khaltura'' has been described as a ‘mysterious, typically Soviet, unseen in the civilized world phenomenon, where low quality is the key precondition of high income’ (Dovlatov 1999). The fact that ''khaltura'' does not lose its relevance within the Russian context today was emphasized in Dmitry Bykov’s satiric political poem that comments on Putin’s imprisonment of a political critic: ‘we have a generous nature, which encompasses both villainy and honour; we have ''khaltura'' and we have ''kultura'' [Russian word for culture]…’ (Bykov 2014). | ||
The practice of moonlighting is global, but the way the side job is named in different languages reflects the culture of the country and its attitude to labour. Within the English-speaking world, the closest word to ''khaltura'' is ‘gig’, ‘side gig,’ ‘hustle,’ defined as ‘a job, often a temporary one’ (Cambridge Dictionary 2020a) or ‘a piece of work or a job that you get paid for doing in addition to doing your main job’ (Cambridge Dictionary 2020b). In Vietnam, the practice of taking a second job is called ''nghề tay trái'', which means ‘left-hand job’, implying inferiority to the main job This negative connotation is also found in the second meaning of ''khaltura'' in Russian. Brazilian Portuguese also has an informal word for a side gig – ''bico''. It does not have a direct translation but designates a quick informal job for extra money, with no contract and consequently no tax obligations. In some languages, ''khaltura'' is simply called an extra or second job: ''trabajo extra'' (''secundario'') in Mexican Spanish, ''ekstra (ikinci) iş'' in Turkish. In Romanian, a side job is called ''pe langa'' – which means ‘next to’. In the Tunisian dialect of Arabic, ''khaltura'' is called ''dabbara el’-raas'', which means to organize one’s head or behaviour (in a way that would yield extra income). See also [[rad na crno]]. | The practice of moonlighting is global, but the way the side job is named in different languages reflects the culture of the country and its attitude to labour. Within the English-speaking world, the closest word to ''khaltura'' is ‘gig’, ‘side gig,’ ‘hustle,’ defined as ‘a job, often a temporary one’ (Cambridge Dictionary 2020a) or ‘a piece of work or a job that you get paid for doing in addition to doing your main job’ (Cambridge Dictionary 2020b). In Vietnam, the practice of taking a second job is called ''nghề tay trái'', which means ‘left-hand job’, implying inferiority to the main job. This negative connotation is also found in the second meaning of ''khaltura'' in Russian. Brazilian Portuguese also has an informal word for a side gig – ''bico''. It does not have a direct translation but designates a quick informal job for extra money, with no contract and consequently no tax obligations. In some languages, ''khaltura'' is simply called an extra or second job: ''trabajo extra'' (''secundario'') in Mexican Spanish, ''ekstra (ikinci) iş'' in Turkish. In Romanian, a side job is called ''pe langa'' – which means ‘next to’. In the Tunisian dialect of Arabic, ''khaltura'' is called ''dabbara el’-raas'', which means to organize one’s head or behaviour (in a way that would yield extra income). See also [[rad na crno]]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||