From Thieves to Criminals: The History of Organized Crime in Russia

Do you know how organized crime first emerged? And who were the taty, and why are they often linked with today’s thieves?

This book is a detailed account of the formation of organized crime in Russia. The authors show how the first criminal groups arose and, over time, transformed from small gangs into real bands, as well as how the state tried to counter them—in different ways and within the framework of the law. Readers are invited to step back into the era of Kievan Rus, find out who the taty were, and take a fresh look at the road to glory taken by such famous figures as Vanka Kain and Sonya the Golden Hand.

In this book you will find:
• How crime was fought in Kievan Rus and why the Razboyny Prikaz (Court/Order of Robbery) appeared.
• Who ensured order in the provinces of the Moscow Kingdom.
• The most high-profile and memorable cases of the 16th–17th centuries.
• Landmark gangs of pre-revolutionary Russia that noticeably influenced history.
• Biographies of two legendary figures from the criminal underworld.