The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia

by Mark Galeotti

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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia, Crime, True Crime, Politics, Audiobook

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2018

Reviews

[Darwin8u · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If Lenin had shot more criminals and hired fewer, we might have seen a very different Soviet Union."
- Soviet police officer, 1991, quoted in The Vory by Mark Galeotti

"Not everyone who carries a knife is a cook."
- Russian proverb



A nice survey and history of the Vory V Zakone "thief within the code". The best part of this Yale published and well researched book is the history of how the Russian mafia developed in parallel with the Soviet Union and Russia and changed and adapted to fit the new realities. I also enjoyed the sections that dealt with the language, rituals, and tattoos of the Vory. The book loses a bit of velocity as it tries to describe the different facets of the Russian organized crime's ecosystem (Georgian, Chechen, street vor to vor-broker). But still, these sections were necessary to understand that the Russian organized crime has multiple models of control, multiple levels of partnership, etc. It is difficult to even (from both epistemological and ontological perspective) understand exactly what controlled by organized crime means in Russia. The corruption and the cooperation of the state and businesses is so extensive that getting a firm idea of how much Russia is a mafia state seems hard to bite into.

Anyway, this is a fascinating read and helpful in understanding Modern Russia and how figures like Stalin, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin contributed to the current corruption in Russia. It is also useful to understanding how Putin uses organized crime to support the Russian state (and his personal power) and the current conflict with Ukraine and Russia's desire to "Make Russia Great Again." It is also, in a minor way, also helpful to a degree in understanding the relationship Trump has with Ukraine and Russia (both officially and unofficially), although not much is directly said about Trump's ties with Russian money in this book.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the years I've read a fair few books about various Mafia groups from around the globe, From Sicily, to Tokyo, I have had a fascination with learning about them. These are groups of people who live on the outside of our normal world. Choosing to make a living by doing things we wouldn't dare do. From the big screen to the latest European crime series the mafia is big business in the world of both fiction and nonfiction. So with the release of this book I decide to take a tiny peek into the world of the Russian side of things. How would they live up to the myths that have spread across the globe, Are they, in fact, the boogeymen who lurk in the shadows ready to strike at any moment?



Galeotti does a great job of telling the tale of the Vory in broad strokes, He starts by giving us background on how various factions came into being and then goes on to deliver key point throughout there history up until the present day. He shows us the the big players that have strived to move the world of Russian crime forward. And while he doesn't go into great detail of each of the lives he does shows the effect each of these people has had and how most came to an untimely end. We also get insight into how each generation of Russian officials has tried to tackle organised crime and for the most part failed to really achieve anything.



The book is written in a fairly easy and straightforward style to get on with, You can tell in the reading of this book that the author is an expert in his field. He speaks to you from a place of knowledge and experience. And does this in a way that feels like you are having a conversation with the author rather than just page after page of dry facts. Quite often these sorts of books are written by people in the life and feel like they build things up, I guess in an attempt to make it sell to there audience. While covering a lot of ground he gave me a lot of information that I had no idea about, this is a good thing as it means I wasn't left feeling that I was covering ground from other books out there. The only downside with this is that we don't ever spend too much time with each of the things he talks about, so I was left wanting more. But I suppose the book doesn't claim to be a biography on any of these people individually but as the story of a whole group over many generations.



This book in my opinion deliverers on what it promises in a quick and easy way. If you are looking to dip your toes into the world of Russian crime, this is the place to start your journey. It gives a good all-around view and also points you in the right direction if you wish to go a little deeper.

[Steven Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was nearly put off by a review saying this was a diatribe against communism. That review couldn't have been more wrong. If you think Galeotti is against communism in particular, how do you explain his discussions of organised crime in non-communist countries? Not only is this a fascinating book, it's a reminder to read multiple reviews before making a decision.

[Boudewijn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather academic introduction to the Russian mafia, its beginnings and the rise (and downfall) under Putin. It starts off with a description of brigands on the Russian countryside during the Tsar, the rise under communism and the pinnacle during the communist collapse. Nowadays the mafia is still there, tolerated under Putin and in a gentlemen's agreement with the Russian government to not interfere too much in the business of the oligarchs.

[Bettie]

Description: 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.

thief in law (Russian: вор в зако́не, tr. vor v zakone; Estonian: seaduslik varas; Ukrainian: злодій у законі, zlodiy u zakoni; Belarusian: злодзей у законе, zlodzey u zakone; Georgian: კანონიერი ქურდი, kanonieri kurdi; Armenian: օրենքով գող, orenk'ov goğ; Azerbaijani: Qanuni oğru) in the Soviet Union, the post-Soviet states, Serbia and respective diasporas abroad is a specifically granted formal status of a professional criminal who enjoys an elite position within the organized crime environment and employs informal authority over its lower-status members. Each new Vor is vetted (literally "crowned", with respective rituals and tattoos) by consensus of several Vors. Vor culture is inseparable from prison organized crime: only repeatedly jailed convicts are eligible for Vor status. Thieves in law are drawn from many nationalities from a number of post-Soviet states. [wiki sourced]

The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia review – a kleptocracy in the making. Mark Galeotti’s timely account of the Russian underworld charts its rise from Soviet-era gangsters to Kremlin collaborators under Putin

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting material about the Vory, Russia's mafia, but the book is really poorly structured.

Galeotti seems like one of those experts who really knows his subject and really has no clue how to write. The book felt like it was all over the place. It begin with a chapter or two that was not so much about the Vory, but more about crime in Russia before the Vory. Reading it, this seemed very out of place, only tenuously related to the Vory. I am sure that Galeotti would defend himself, saying that it was necessary to give the cultural context, but it just made the beginning hard to follow.

The rest of the book is marred by similar problems, but it also shines. Galeotti clearly knows his stuff. He talks to Russian gangsters a lot, and he is able to explain how they work, demystifying their operations and demythifying their nature. He explodes monolithic understandings of the Russian Vory that many Westerners have. He demonstrates that the Russian mob is not a single mob, but rather a variety competing violent business, many of them not even Russian.

Many elements of the book have the feel of being a little like a powerpoint given to the FBI a million times. It would not surprise me if this was the genesis of this book, which would explain the crappy structure and the author's deep knowledge of the subject.

[Robert Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone interested in understanding Russian organized crime should read this book. It is by far one of the best books on criminal organizations I have ever read. Although Galeotti eschews sociological analysis of his information in favor of a more simple historical analysis approach, you can easily read between the lines to get a clear picture of how the culture and social systems of Russia contribute to the structure of criminal organizations and black/grey markets. I would have liked more information about the latter, particularly the French cheese market and its relationship to elites, sanctions, national and local politics, Putinism, and gangster opportunism, but I'm sure that would be an entire book by itself :). And I remain uncertain about the possibilities of gang warfare (indeed of state warfare, say in East Ukraine/Donbas) over French cheese (and other, more prosaic goods such as heroin, of course) and its implications for world peace.

[Leftbanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating reading from start to finish. This filled in a lot of gaps, not only about the Russian underworld, but about how Russia seems to be exporting crime to serve the state. Spain has so many shitbag Russian mafiosos and I can only wonder how they are being allowed out of Russian and then into the EU. How do they get passports unless the Russian government is marketing crime for export?

[Kaspars Zalāns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daudz ko paskaidro no šobrīd Ukrainā (un arī Krievijā) notiekošā.

[Aurimas Šimeliūnas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mak Galeotti yra vienas autoritetingiausių Rusijos kriminalinio pasaulio tyrinėtojų ir knyga tai patvirtina. Nežinau kokiu tai būdu, tačiau vis patenka į rankas knygos, kurios yra bestseleriai (aišku, suprantu, kad šiuo atveju tai sąlyginis dalykas) ir tuo pačiu moksliniai tekstai.

Vėlgi, aš vis dar ieškau tinkamų žodžių apibūdinti tokioms knygoms. Galbūt, tai yra knyga iš "opus magnum" serijos, nes iki šios knygos M. Galeotti apie Rusiją jau buvo parašęs porą dešimčių knygų. Tiesiog, rimtas mokslininkas, turintis gerą rašymo stilių, glaustai (beveik 272 psl. ir literatūros sąrašas) aprašė rusų mafijos istoriją ir specifinius bruožus. Kaip minėjau, knyga parašyta lengvu stiliumi, tačiau informacija pateikiama gana koncentruotai ir todėl vargu ar tai yra tas produktas kuris naudojamas atsipalaidavimui. Priešingai, tie kurie tiesiog nori gauti patikimų žinių apie Rusijos kriminalinį pasaulį, be jokios kvailos rusiškos romantikos, šią knygą turėtų čiupti kuo greičiau.

[LG · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read Anne Applebaum’s Gulag: A History, I realized that I wanted to learn more about organized crime in Russia. I found this to be a solid book packed with information. I worried it would over emphasize the sensational stories, but instead found it to be a good overview on how the Vory have changed to adapt to Russia's changing political and social landscape. And how Russia has adapted to the Vory. It got me thinking - how many sub groups do that? All of them? Or just some? Why do some become coopted and others fade away? I will continue to look at more books on the topic, but this was a well researched starting point.

[Rrrrrron · Rating 2 out of 5]

First part was not bad with stories of the Russian underground economy over time (3.5 stars). But the latter half is dominated by a bad amateur sociological study - a lengthy set of claims and narrative of the political economy that is not substantiated by data with only a smattering of semi related stories to rationalize/illustrate the claims (1 star).

[Gergely · Rating 4 out of 5]

In case you buy this book, as I did, in the expectation that Galeotti might just have uncovered a smoking gun that proves that Vladimir Putin is indeed the Capo di tutti capi of the Russian speaking world, then think again. Neither is it a barnstorming "who's shot who" of Russian criminal history in the form of, say, John Dickie's history of the Sicilian Mafia ("Cosa Nostra").

What it is, and the no less for it, is a history of Russian crime culture focused mostly on the Soviet and immediate post-Soviet period. It is both a nuanced and thoughtful history of how career criminals in general adapted and took advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by an excessively harsh or dangerously weak (and often both) state apparatus through the 20th C. It aslo has a lot to say about culture that developed around these Russian "Vory," all of which is facinatingly detailed on the page.

Further, Galeotti's podcasts on contemporary Russian politics are some of the best out there, and I do very much hope that he delivers another book on Russia, this time focusing on Putin and his power vertical politics. He touches a subject in this book, for example, of how Putin has sought to influence, control and even use organized criminal forces whilst himself also selectively adopting mafia language and culture, although information on this area felt scarce and deserves a lot more attention.

[Ti.Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

A textbook-quality look at organized crime in Russia and surrounding regions, from the humblest beginnings in local horse stealing gangs of the early 1900's through to today's covert global networks of white collar and cyber criminals.

Each generation of organized crime, in each region, was guided and shaped by movements of government, and government has been somewhat moved and shaped by Russian/Eurasian organized crime.

Peppered with Russian proverbs and pithy quotes from former Vor, police, and government officials, The Vory is a masterpiece of written edutainment.

5 stars.

*** Notable Topics ***
-Russian Revolution
-Soviet era handling of criminals, crime bosses
-Lenin
-Stalin
-Brezhnev
-Gorbachev's reforms (effects on organized crime)
-Putin
-Language - mainstreaming of crime slang
-Comparison to organized crime Italy, Japan, and U.S.
-Prison camps/Gulag system
-Afghanistan (invasion, occupation, veteran involvement in organized crime)
-Chechnya
-Georgia
-China (cooperation with organized crime networks)
-Post-Soviet criminal adaptation
-Overseas criminal expansion

[Dinu Guţu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cartea nu e rea, foarte multe detalii istorice si jurnalistice despre cultura interlopa ruseasca dar cred ca-i lipseste o perspectiva sociologica sau antropologica mai larga. De ce cultura "blatnaia" a rezistat atat de mult ca si subcultura si a definit masculinitatea mai multor generatii de baieti de prin anii 70 pana astazi? O perspectiva de gen si de specific al masculinitatilor locale ar fi fost la fel de binevenita.
3,5

[Marren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Examination of the Russian mafia's role in society. An overview of their culture, including fenya and shansons. The book was well-researched. Galeotti is cautiously optimistic about Russia moving away from organized crime. If this does happen, it will definitely happen slowly as organized crime is endemic in Russian society. I do wonder if part of the historic defiance of law stems from ethnic Russian imperialism being imposed on the 100+ ethnic groups throughout the country.

[AC · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, well researched book. But the subtitle is a hit misleading, as the Vory are a thing of the past. This book is not an analysis of a contemporary problem.

[Tatiana Shorokhova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Безумно интересная книга, особенно первые три четверти. Как только Галеотти доходит до нашего времени, сразу становится скучновато - может, потому что всё это и так известно, а может потому, что просто «воры» уже не те что прежде.

В любом случае, поражает с какой любовью к предмету пишет автор. У него нет ни капли презрения или негативной оценки - вот так всё есть, deal with it.

Но небольшой тримминг в финале не помешал бы.

[Bruce T Ridinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Galeotti provides a great deal of facts, scenarios, and insights regarding the development of the fledgling Russian economy, and lack of it, through the Gulag prison/work camp years and into the new era since 1993. The Russian brand of capitalism, however, should not be equated with the known American or EU brand, if living elsewhere. These are very resilient people.

Where there is little clue of real supply, demand, wants, and needs of the citizenry, the alternative is to survive by stealing from the Vodka-soaked government and whatever scams that one may devise past a merely reactive police force that mainly post-up until something happens.

The Vory or traditional 'thieves'-world' remnant - spawned by the brutal Gulag archipelago decades - has become an important integral part of the Russian quasi-capitalism façade. It still exists in many adaptable forms today, albeit less conspicuously, while transitioning to a more stable economic order where common folk may participate. It also pays to help weaken other powers elsewhere at the secret requests of the Kremlin. No paper-trails you understand? Da.

The Russian government stabilized by the Putin regime, the transitioned Vory, and a smattering of capitalism free-marketing Rubles grabs, have provided a new way out of the collapsed Soviet empire. Make no mistake - the underworld Vory and the upper-world Russian politicians have many "understandings", which allow a great deal of deniable co-existence and multi-streamed profitability, mainly drawing from poorly guarded government assets and from the capitalistic efforts of others - worldwide. Whatever works.

The Vory also provide the best money-laundering, fraud cons, hacking-for-hire and fugazi scams sans guns games around. And they blend in well! An enlightening read in this doctoral tome for sure.

[Andrius Jovaiša · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autorius išmano sritį through and through ir tas jaučiasi skaitant – už kiekvieno sakinio slepiasi ištisi klodai metų metais rinktos informacijos, ką rodo ir apie 40 puslapių išnašų bei nuorodų. Chronologiškas pasakojimas iš lėto atskleidžia kultūrines tiriamo reiškinio šaknis nuo XVII a., išdėsto įvairias XX a. perturbacijas transformavusias nusikaltėlius, ir galiausiai nupiešia tam tikrą ateities prognozę. Autorius nuima mitologizuotą šydą nuo dažnu atveju tiesiog banalių ir oportunistiškų nusikaltėlių. Atitolinęs žvilgsnį, jis parodo makro vaizdą – sąryšius su verslu, politikais, saugumo struktūromis, išryškina kultūrinius saitus ir istorinių sovietų sąjungos įvykių (stalinizmo gulagai) poveikį tiek nusikaltėliams, tiek visuomenei. Puikiai išlaikytas balansas tarp neutralaus mokslinio tyrimo stiliaus ir vaizdingų pasakojimų apie pačius knygos herojus, kurie tikrai spalvingi. Apskritai, šita knyga leidžia dar geriau pažinti Rusiją.

[Sean Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aside from the books somewhat hyperbolic subtitle of Russia’s Super Miafia, The Vory by Mark Galeotti is a sober and well researched look at organized crime in Russia.

This book follows the evolution of peasant thief gangs in Imperial Russia, through their coalescence into more coherent groups with distinct customs and jargon in the Soviet Gulags, their sudden rise during the collapse of the USSR, to their semi-assimilated status in modern government.

If you are interested in Russian history, non-fiction crime, or both, The Vory by Mark Galeotti is a good read.

[James Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really disappointing read. The author is clearly extremely knowledgeable about the subject but it never felt a coherent narrative or an engrossing ‘story’. It just felt like him telling the readers this this and this without any real form. It’s very dense and has no pacing to speak about. The highlights are sections on Chechen organised crime and the gulags, but on the whole it’s a series of fairly disjointed small sections on specific topics that becomes very dense

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

More an academic study on the history of criminals in Russia and the surrounding states than any one group.

[Andrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historical stuff (until 1980s) is the best part of this book.

[Guillaume Narbonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the ever-evolving field of non-fiction, books that delve deep into the annals of history and contemporary issues are of tremendous value. "The Vory" by Mark Galeotti is one such work, a masterful exploration of Russia's criminal underworld and its intricate connection to the country's political apparatus. The scope of Galeotti's research is commendable, tracing the history of organized crime in Russia from its Tsarist-era roots to its modern-day manifestations.

One of the strengths of "The Vory" is the depth with which Galeotti examines his subject. The reader is presented with a comprehensive look into the world of Russian crime, from the thieves-in-law and their codes, to the multifaceted networks that enable corruption at all levels of society. By shining a light on these clandestine operations, Galeotti has rendered a service not only to scholars but also to anyone keenly interested in understanding the socio-political dynamics of modern Russia.

Interestingly, the book can be seen in some ways as foreshadowing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Although Galeotti's primary focus is on organized crime, he doesn't shy away from drawing connections between the underworld and political decisions at the highest echelons of the Russian government. The confluence of political and criminal interests provides readers with a new lens through which to interpret not just domestic issues within Russia, but its foreign policy motivations as well.

That being said, it's necessary to note that "The Vory" is not without its challenges. Galeotti's writing style can occasionally veer towards the dry side, making certain sections feel more like academic prose than engaging narrative. Yet, the sheer fascination of the topic is often enough to pull the reader through these denser passages. It's a testament to Galeotti's prowess as a researcher that even when the prose isn't sparkling, the revelations and insights keep the pages turning.

In conclusion, "The Vory" is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intricacies of Russia's criminal networks and their entanglement with political power. While the book demands a certain degree of patience due to its occasional dryness, the payoff in knowledge and understanding is immense.

[Grada (BoekenTrol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. At first, I feared it might contain (very) graphic stories about crimes comitted, but I decided to give it a go anyway. Curiosity eventually got the better of me :-)

I soon realized, this was more a historical approach to the develepment of organized crime in Russia. How political an social structures influence(d) the development of the vory and how the structures of the organized crime adapted to new realities that appeared from political changes.

It was interesting to learn, that different regions in the former Soviet Union had different styles of organizations and that the heads of these groups took over ways of doing things when others appeared to be more succesfull.

All in all a nice & interesting read.

[Stephen Prater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very in-depth history of Russian organized crime. Documents the history from early days, through the gulags, and into modern day Russia. Russian organized crime is intertwined with the government and society in a way that will be difficult to overcome. The author thoroughly knows the subject and spent a significant amount of time in Russia documenting the subject. The book does have some repetitiveness, so it’s more 3.5 stars than 4.

[SCB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely dense, and I don’t remember all of said details, but I don’t necessarily feel like I need to! I feel like I got what I wanted out of this book. I didn’t love the narrator on this audio version as much, I feel like I really got more out of the actual author narrating his own work, but not bad.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

comprehensive look at the Russian underworld. confirmed my belief that to understand the culture you must read dostoyevsky.