Meaning of Blat | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Initialism of bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato: a sandwich made with these main ingredients.
   abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
2. The Soviet system of connections and social relationships; one's social or business network (in Russian or Soviet society).
   uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“To open⟳ a new business in Russia you need⟳ blat.”

“Alena Ledeneva's book is the first to analyse⟳ blat in all its historical, socio-economic and cultural aspects, and to explore⟳ its implications for post-Soviet society. In a socialist distribution system which resulted in constant shortages, blat developed into an 'economy of favours' which shadowed an overcontrolling centre and represented the reaction of ordinary people to the social constraints they faced.”

““We call⟳ her that but really it’s more post-Soviet. She's the blat girl.” “The what?” “Blat. What the old boys in your country called juice, I think⟳. She's connected, Marina is.”

“The bribe caused the inflation of the social capital defined as blat. Monetarization of social relations led to the inflation of the social investments that the ordinary citizen has put⟳ in their blat networks. Only blat networks of the powerful survived […]”

“I argue⟳ that just as blat was an essential type⟳ of know-how of Soviet socialism, these postsocialist informal practices represent⟳ the “know-how” of post-Soviet Russia.”

“The distinction between the use⟳ of blat for personal enrichment and for smoothing the work⟳ of the enterprise was emphasized in the interview testimony. […] The supply⟳ agent, for example, often has large quantities of money at his disposal for arranging his blat, much of which he might use⟳ for himself but which he devotes instead to making deals of advantage to the enterprise.”

“Semukhina and Reynolds mention⟳ underlying reasons for the widespread corruption: pre-Soviet and Soviet practices (especially the system of blat⁽¹⁹¹⁾, which continued in the wake⟳ of the breakdown of the Soviet Union), institutional factors within the police (e.g. highly militarised structure⟳, lack of accountability), a weak civil society, economic causes (maximising income and minimising risks) and a culture of ‘disrespect for the law’⁽¹⁹²⁾.”

CEFR level