Russian Criminal Slang: Fenya and Its Origins

Every culture has its hidden codes, and in Russia that secret language is known as Fenya — the criminal slang born in prisons, back alleys, and underworld dealings. More than just words, Fenya is a mirror of history: a mix of old peddlers’ speech, Yiddish borrowings, and Odessa street talk. Today, many Fenya expressions have slipped into everyday Russian, sometimes with humor, sometimes with menace. Let’s take a closer look at this unique linguistic world.

---

Excerpt from Yuri Koval

— So, you po fene botaesh (по фене ботаешь, po fene botaesh)? — Do you speak in thieves’ cant?
— Botayu (ботаю, botayu). — I do. I speak it as hard as I can.
— And do you po-ryb’i chirikaesh (по-рыбьи чирикаешь, po-ryb’i chirikaesh)? — Can you chirp in “fish talk”?
— Chirikayu (чирикаю, chirikayu). — I chirp.
— You lie, starling! You’re na bugaya beresh (на бугая берёшь, na bugaya beresh — “acting tough, pretending to be a bull”)! You’re porozhnyak gonyaesh (порожняк гоняешь, porozhnyak gonyaesh — “talking nonsense, running empty”)! You’re lapshu na ushi dvigaesh (лапшу на уши двигаешь, lapshu na ushi dvigaesh — “hanging noodles on ears, i.e., fooling me”)!
— I’m not, I’m not dvigayu lapshu! — yelled Vasya, because he saw that Pakhan (Пахан, Pakhan — “crime boss”) slipped his hand into the pocket where a heavy pistol dangled.
— You don’t know Fenya (Феня, Fenya — criminal jargon), — said Pakhan and shook his square budka (будка, budka — “head, mug”). — Then tell me, what is a bimbar (бимбар, bimbar)?
— Here it is, the bimbar! Right here! — And Vasya pulled a watch out of his pocket.

(Yuri Koval, “Kurolesov and Matros Join In, or The Blunder of Citizen Loshakov”)

---

How Did Fenya Appear?

The word Fenya (Феня, Fenya) came from Ofeni (офени, Ofeni) — wandering peddlers in Old Russia. They used a secret speech to communicate with each other, later adopted by pimps, beggars, and thieves.

By the 16th century, Fenya was firmly in use among prisoners and remained their “privilege.” In the 20th century, especially after mass amnesties, the jargon spread into everyday Russian. In the 1990s, po fene botat (по фене ботать, po fene botat) — “to speak Fenya” — became fashionable, especially among the so-called “new Russians.”

---

Two Parents of Fenya

• Ofeni traders’ slang: words like loh (лох, loh — “dupe”), buhat (бухать, buhat — “to drink”), hilyat (хилять, hilyat — “to go”), dopotrit (допетрить, dopotrit — “to figure out”), mastirit (мастырить, mastirit — “to tinker”).
• Odessa slang: mixed Russian, Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Greek. Words like blat (блат, blat — “connections”), fraer (фраер, fraer — “outsider, sucker”), shukher (шухер, shukher — “lookout, warning”).

---

Use of Fenya in Prison

Prisoners spoke Fenya to hide information, even in front of guards. It often describes people:

• Krysa (крыса, krysa) — rat, one who steals from his own.
• Nasedka (наседка, nasedka) — hen, an informer.
• Kozel (козёл, kozel) — goat, a prisoner collaborating with authorities.

---

Gopnik Slang

A simplified version of Fenya, mixed with curses. Used by gopniki (гопники, gopniki) — petty street punks. Example:

“Eh, potsyk (поцык, potsyk — kid), come here, we gotta talk!.. What’d you say, nahui (нах**, nahui — fuck you)? You so cocky, yopta (ёпта, yopta — yo, dude)?!”

---

Foreign Analogues

The English equivalent is Thieves’ cant or Rogues’ cant. In the U.S., prison slang varies by region and ethnicity. Chinese triads and Japanese yakuza also have their own coded languages, though censorship limits their use in pop culture.

---

Everyday Fenya Words (Glossary)

Бабки (Babki)

Literal: Grannies — Meaning: Money

Валить (Valit)

Literal: To knock down — Meaning: To run away

Делать ноги (Delat nogi)

Literal: To make legs — Meaning: To escape

Харе (Khare)

Literal: Enough — Meaning: Stop it

Вешать лапшу на уши (Lapshu na ushi veshat)

Literal: To hang noodles on ears — Meaning: To deceive, to fool

Втихаря (Vtikharya)

Literal: On the sly — Meaning: Secretly

Качать права (Kachat prava)

Literal: To swing rights — Meaning: To demand, insist

Отмазка (Otmazka)

Literal: Excuse — Meaning: Alibi, excuse

Чувак (Chuvak)

Literal: Guy — Meaning: Dude

Вкалывать (Vkalivat)

Literal: To drive in (metaphor) — Meaning: To work hard

Вырубиться (Vyrubitsya)

Literal: To cut out — Meaning: To pass out, fall asleep

---

Conclusion

Fenya is more than just prison talk — it’s a living piece of Russian culture. What began as the secret code of wandering traders and hardened criminals has seeped into music, literature, and everyday life. Some expressions sound funny, others carry a dark edge, but all of them reflect the resilience, wit, and survival instincts of those who lived by a language meant to hide and protect. Next time you hear a Russian say they’re “botayu po fene,” you’ll know they’re speaking the language of thieves, rebels, and history itself.

Further information: Criminal (Prison) slang