Oseledets: Traditional Ukrainian Cossack style with a shaved head and long top lock.

The oseledets is a historic Ukrainian haircut featuring a shaven scalp with a single long lock of hair on the crown. Associated with Zaporozhian Cossacks, it serves as a symbol of national identity and has appeared in modern political protests.

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Features a shaved head with one long lock of hair.
Strongly associated with Zaporozhian Cossacks.
Revived during the 2014 Euromaidan protests.
Term khokhol is often used as an ethnic slur.

What it is

This style features a closely shaven head with a single long lock of hair growing from the top or front. The remaining hair is often braided or tied into a topknot. It resembles a modern Mohawk but is rooted in historical tradition. Men typically wear this look, which requires significant contrast between the bare scalp and the remaining strand.

Where it comes from

Early descriptions link the style to Sviatoslav I, a prince of Kievan Rus in the tenth century. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it became a hallmark of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Romantic painters later revived the image in the early twentieth century. The style saw a resurgence among modern Ukrainians following independence and during the Euromaidan protests in 2014.

What it means

The haircut acts as a marker of ethnic self-identification for Ukrainians. Historically, it helped distinguish them from Russian neighbours. While the term khokhol was once used for self-identification, it is now frequently employed as a derogatory slur against Ukrainian men. The style remains a potent symbol of national heritage and resistance.

How it is made

To achieve this look, the hair on the sides and back of the head is shaved completely close to the skin. A central strip or patch of hair on the crown is left uncut. This remaining lock is allowed to grow long. It may be worn loose, braided, or tied up depending on personal preference or historical accuracy.

A drawing made by EveryHairstyle from what this page says. It is a diagram, not a picture of the real hairstyle.

Who and what it suits

The style works with any hair texture since only a small section remains. It requires a willingness to shave most of the head. Face shape is less relevant due to the lack of side hair framing the face. It is primarily worn by men who wish to display cultural pride or historical affiliation.

Versions

The lock may be braided or tied in a topknot. Similar styles include the chupryna, chonmage, and sikha. The term khokhol refers to the same cut but carries different social weight depending on who uses it. Modern interpretations may vary the width of the remaining strip.

In culture

The oseledets appears in films such as The Lost Letter, based on works by Nikolai Gogol. It is a standard feature in stereotypical images of Cossacks. During the Euromaidan protests, some participants wore the style to signal national identity. The associated term khokhol is often used in derogatory contexts in Russian media.

Questions people ask about Oseledets

What is the oseledets hairstyle?

It is a traditional Ukrainian cut with a shaved head and a single long lock of hair on the crown. It is historically linked to the Zaporozhian Cossacks and serves as a symbol of national identity.

Is the term khokhol offensive?

While historically used for self-identification, khokhol is now commonly used as a derogatory ethnic slur against Ukrainian men. It stems from the word for crest or tuft and is often considered condescending.

Who famously wore this style?

The style is most famously associated with the Zaporozhian Cossacks of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Early descriptions also link it to Sviatoslav I, a prince of Kievan Rus in the tenth century.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Oseledets", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryHairstyle rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.