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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.

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