Khozyain

Khozyain (хозяин) is a Russian term often used to describe a certain type of political leader.

The term's applicability to the politicians originates from the Russian word "khozyain" (of a household), usually usually the oldest male entrusted with the welfare of the family. For someone to merit the title of a real "khozyain" he must take care of those in his domain.

It is a rich term which traditionally refers to a leader of a given social domain, a home, a village, an enterprise, or a country, although it can be also used to define a leader of a criminal gang.

It is sometimes difficult to classify the khozian-politician in a classical political sense since their overriding concerns are not a leftist or rightist political agenda, but the welfare of the group where ideology is less important than pragmatism, strength of character and problem solving skills.

A person who displays talents in this direction is called a "khozyaistvennik".

A "khozyain" politician can easily be seen as authoritarian in a Western political context. A more accurate description would be to classify him as a father figure.

Examples of Khozyain politicians

* Joseph Stalin
* Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
* Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow
* Oleksandr Omelchenko, former Mayor of Kiev
* Igor Smirnov, President of Transnistria