LATEST EPISODE: Joe Molloy, Seattle’s Homeless Mayoral Candidate, Shares Insights on the Causes of Homelessness and Paths to Solutions.

“Gopnik – The Slavic Street Icon in Trunks

So, why bring up gopniks? Let’s rewind to the 1990s. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, most people across the former Soviet republics were suddenly thrown into poverty, while a select few—often with government connections—became wildly rich (sound familiar?). With the economy in freefall and unemployment soaring, crime and informal “hustling” became a survival strategy for many. Enter the gopnik—a subcultural antihero. Usually spotted squatting on curbs, chain-smoking, and decked out in knockoff tracksuits, the gopnik quickly became a post-Soviet street-style icon. Part street tough, part urban legend, they transformed athletic wear into both a political statement and a strangely lasting fashion legacy.

In my upcoming interview with Joe Molloy, Seattle’s homeless mayoral candidate, I found myself channeling a bit of my inner gopnik. Because love them or mock them, gopniks redefined street style—and maybe, if we take a closer look at what they represent, they can also help us rethink how we view struggle, identity, and community…”

- Kat