The first English-language book to document the men who emerged from the gulags to become Russia’s much-feared crime class: the vory v zakone
Mark Galeotti is the go-to expert on organized crime in Russia, consulted by governments and police around the world. Now, Western readers can explore the fascinating history of the vory v zakone, a group that has survived and thrived amid the changes brought on by Stalinism, the Cold War, the Afghan War, and the end of the Soviet experiment.
The vory—as the Russian mafia is also known—was born early in the twentieth century, largely in the Gulags and criminal camps, where they developed their unique culture. Identified by their signature tattoos, members abided by the thieves’ code, a strict system that forbade all paid employment and cooperation with law enforcement and the state. Based on two decades of on-the-ground research, Galeotti’s captivating study details the vory’s journey to power from their early days to their adaptation to modern-day Russia’s free-wheeling oligarchy and global opportunities beyond.
Review
"A cogent and accessible history that anyone interested in organized crime in general, and the Russian variety in particular, will want to pick up."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
Book Description
The notorious Russian mafia, the Vory, sprung from the gulags early in the twentieth century. Based on two decades of on-the-ground research, this first English-language study details their journey to power, from their early days through Stalinism and the Soviet experiment to their adaptation to modern-day Russia and global spread.
