The most powerful underground system of power in the world developed within Russia from the days of the Tsars, the Soviet autocracy later and with powerful tentacles to this day. The infamous Russian mafia, with its roots in the terrible gulags of remote Siberia, has now expanded to almost the entire world.
The “robbers within the law” (Vor-vi-zacone), that is, the leaders of the mafia, who were organized in all the concentration camps of the country, were effectively in control of the facilities there, having created disciplined hierarchies with their own strict internal rules. In this context, the “Vori” in the camps arranged the tasks of the prisoners by choosing which of the “political” prisoners could spend their lives there with less risk for themselves. The point was that these two types of prisoners were very different from each other, but they shared some common principles.
This was basically that they were not disciplined in the state. For different reasons of course, but the result was the same. Political prisoners ideologically despised the Soviet system and sought some way to overthrow it. The Bori, on the other hand, considered themselves honest, hard-working people. In their own way, of course. With fists and with cunning. They despised what they saw as “crooks in uniforms,” who used the law to further their schemes.
Thieves are part of mythology in Russia, just as, for example, the mafia in America has been heroized through cinema. Their music and their distinctive vocabulary are widely spread in the country. But myths are one thing and real history is another. During the Soviet prison camps their special culture developed. And it was shaken by the death of Stalin. Then the persecuted and displaced politicians were released. And there was an attempt by the authorities to dismantle the mobsters. Then complex and strange relationships were created.
Using informants broke the code of non-cooperation. Since then, the mobsters of the gangs began to come into close cooperation with the law enforcement agencies, helping each other according to the needs. Contraband goods and the provision of luxurious amenities became the subject of these transactions. Which for some meant the eventual acquisition of large fortunes. Something that intensified with the fall of the Soviet system. Then the “Vori” found themselves at the center of the developments using former secret service officers for security, protection and coercion. They soon expanded abroad. Playing a critical role in actions in other countries, business or politically oriented. They played a role in the occupation of Crimea but also in coordinating hackers to control information systems and influence elections. A powerful kleptocracy system with tentacles now everywhere.
