The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia

Abroad, they are called the “Russian mafia”; to us, they are bandits—but even here and there, they are called “thieves.” They’re everywhere—in films, books, crime reports, and, of course, on the streets. Thief slang has entered everyday speech; chanson is one of the most popular music genres; and the criminal world still exerts pressure on business. At the same time, “thieves” are constantly changing and adapting to the demands of the moment: they abandon the principles for which their predecessors died, adopt tactics from foreign “colleagues,” learn new technologies, and skillfully disguise themselves. The book by British political scientist Mark Galeotti—specialist in international crime and Russian special services—is an exciting journey through the history of the thieves’ world in Russia, from Yaponchik (1891–1919) to Yaponchik (1940–2009). Galeotti tells about the birth and death of old “concepts,” explains what key differences exist between Vladivostok criminal groups and those in St. Petersburg, and shows how the unforgiving logic of the criminal world works.