Russian Organized Crime: Its History, Structure, and Function

In analyzing Russian organized crime, the authors describe and classify the four major forms of organized crime: l)political-social.2)mercenary,3) in-group,and 4) syndicated. Though the fmt three classifications of the aforementioned types of organized crime existed throughout Soviet history,itwasthesyndicatedformthat began to emerge in the late 1950’s.expanding during the corrupt Breznev years (1964-82). exploding during perestroika, and reaching pandemic levels after the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991. The abrupt trans formation of the Russian society from a centralized command economy to one driven by the forces of market capitalism created the socio-pathological conditions for the malignant spread of mercenary and especially syndicated organized crime. New criminals syndicates werecreatedbyanallianceofcriminalgangdgroupsand former members of the Soviet Union’s communist nomenklatura (bureaucracy) and the consequence was the criminalition of much of the Russian economy. The social structure of these syndicates is based on a loose association of patron-client relationships rather thanacentralized hierarchicalsystem;theirfunctionis to provide illicit gooddservices desired by the people. The authors conclude their study by emphasizing that what has taken place in Russia is not peculiar to the Russian people,but exemplifies what can happen to societies that experience rapid and intense social change