Batiar

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=right|quote=BATIARY Batiary, to dzieci so lwoskij ulicy Wysoły, z fasonym, skory du kantania: Na takich gdzi indzij mówiu "ulicznicy" Co ni wytrzymuji jednak purówniania. The Origins of the term batiar may be Hungarian, as from the nineteenth century Lviv was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, some of its policemen were Hungarians, and they may have brought the term to the local dialect from their native language. Definition by the Encyclopædia Britannica: 19th-century Polish writer Jan Lam, a native of Stanislawów (modern Ivano-Frankivsk), is considered by some to be the inventor of the term batiar (baciar, baciarz). ==History==

from 1904 Under Austrian rule, Lviv (Lwów, Lemberg) was reputed to be one of the empire's most crime-ridden cities. The roots of the batiar subculture can be found in the city's infamous Brygidki prison, which was established in 1785. The prison's inmates, colloquially known as andrus (Ukrainian: яндрус, yandrus), bosany, or, later, antek, developed their own argot, which was studied by Karol Estreicher and Henryk Felsztynski during the 1860s. Elements of Lviv criminal jargon are also found in literary works by Ivan Franko and other contemporary local authors. One of the early mentions of the term batiar can be found in the Lviv newspaper Dilo from 1889, which claimed the word to be of Turkish origin and have the meaning of "young vagabond among the Persians". was the name for lower-class inhabitants of Lwów (the "elite of Lviv's streets"). spoke a distinctive version of the Polish language, called Bałak, a variant of the Lwów dialect. Originating in Polish, the term batiar eventually became common in the Ukrainian language as well. Initially it had a negative connotation, and was used among others to describe the murderer of Empress Elisabeth of Austria in a popular Ukrainian folk song of the time. The creation of the popular image of batiary started from 1911, when they became heroes of a series of stories published by humour magazine Pocięgiel. Similar publications from other media soon followed. Polish author Gabriela Zapolska compared batiary to the Parisian Apaches. Dynamo Kyiv footballer Oleksandr Skotsen, a natie of Lviv's Levandivka neighbourhood, was nicknamed "Lviv batiar" in a 1992 publication dedicated to his life and career. ==In other cities==

Outside of Lviv, the phenomenon of batiary existed in other cities of Galicia, most notably in Stanislawów (Ivano-Frankivsk), Przemyśl and Boryslav. Analogous groups in other cities of the region were known under local names. In Kolomyia the local criminals and petty thieves were known as ivanky, and in Ternopil as makhabudy (likely from German Wagabond). ==Cultural influence==

In the popular imagination, a typical was usually financially challenged yet an honest and generous urban citizen with a great sense of humor. Among the most famous s, were such figures as the radio personalities Kazimierz Wajda and Henryk Vogelfänger of the highly popular Wesoła Lwowska Fala radio show, as well as the football star Michał Matyas who played for Pogoń Lwów and the national team of Poland. The term is still in local use, albeit in the Ukrainian language. Modern are the playboys of the Ukrainian Piedmont, as Eastern Galicia is sometimes referred to, and are easily identified by exquisite manners, stylish attire, and the obligatory attribute of every , a (walking stick). The 's Day in Lviv replaced the Soviet holiday of 1 May (the Labor Day), the Day of Worker's Solidarity. s also adopted the proletarian motto: Batiars of all countries unite!. At the time of the rise of the 's culture, Lviv's Polish-Jewish poet Emanuel Szlechter wrote lyrics for a song that became well known in Poland, (Only in Lwów; from the comedy film The Vagabonds) which became the anthem of the s, and the accompanying music was written by another Polish-Jew Henryk Wars. The Ukrainian repertoire of that song is performed by Yurko Hnatovsky (in retro-psychedelic style) and Zosya Fedina. s are seen as embodying the unique culture and spirit of Lviv, and are often celebrated in local folklore and popular culture. Batiars in the 21st century The urban subculture of today's Lviv continues to develop with different styles arising out of its ferment. Among the most prominent representatives are Vova zi Lvova, Orest Lyutyi, and many others. ==Quotes==

(Bohdan Rybka, batiar) (Ivan Radkovets, Lviv Studies specialist) ''(Miroslava Sydor, batiar's koliezanka)'' ==See also==