Organized Crime and the Russian Mafia After Soviet Collapse

Introduction

Few observers would have predicted that when President Ronald Reagan implored Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!" in 1987, not only would the Berlin Wall be torn down, but the entire Soviet empire would collapse just a few years later. Even fewer observers would likely have predicted that the collapse of the Soviet Union would be followed by an explosion in organized crime. Many authorities today argue that this explosion in criminal activity was largely the result of decades of oppression and authoritarian rule that left little room for high-profile criminal activities — a vacuum that was replaced by a veritable "Wild West" environment in which crime became the career path of choice for aspiring Russian millionaires. This paper provides a review of the literature concerning the rise of organized crime and the Russian Mafia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Origins and Definition of Russian Organized Crime

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in the introduction of numerous personal freedoms and a capitalistic economy in Russia and 14 other former Soviet states (O'Neal, 2000). An unfortunate concomitant of these fundamental reforms was the emergence of an organized crime element that had simmered for nearly a century under the Soviet government (O'Neal, 2000). According to O'Neal, "In particular, organized crime has proliferated in Russia and now has expanded far beyond the confines of the former Soviet borders" (2000, p. 1). Today, law enforcement authorities typically refer to all criminal groups comprised of members who were originally from any of the former Soviet states — including most especially Georgians, Chechens, Ukrainians, and Armenians — as "Russian organized crime" (O'Neal, 2000, p. 1).

To date, organized crime groups have been created for a wide range of criminal activities, drawing on members from numerous ethnic backgrounds to varying degrees (O'Neal, 2000). For example, O'Neal reports that "some groups remain ethnically exclusive, such as the Armenian groups in Los Angeles; most, particularly the large international enterprises, have multiethnic compositions" (2000, p. 1). This is an important finding because it contradicts the portrayal of the Russian Mafia in the mainstream media as a highly organized, homogeneous operation that transcends national borders. Despite this lack of precision in definition, some distinguishing characteristics that appear to define the Russian Mafia include a lack of traditional codes of honor and membership rules, as well as the common background of group members having all lived in a police state (O'Neal, 2000).

Scope and Scale of the Problem

One of the main problems associated with any analysis of organized crime and the Russian Mafia is a paucity of accurate and timely information. While most authorities agree that the problem has become more severe in recent years and that these organizations have expanded their operations into numerous countries, the actual scope, extent, and effect of these operations remains unclear (O'Neal, 2000). According to O'Neal, "Reports of the number, size, and activities of organized-crime groups vary greatly. Much of the information, whether from news agencies or official sources, is often speculative, anecdotal, conflicting, or a combination thereof" (2000, p. 1). The official reports conducted by the Russian government indicate that between 3,000 and 5,000 criminal groups are active in Russia, and U.S. intelligence estimates place the number of major organized crime groups in Russia at approximately 80 (O'Neal, 2000).

Conclusion

In less than 25 years, organized crime erupted in the former Soviet Union and expanded its operations through the Russian Mafia into neighboring countries, the nations of Western Europe, and even the United States. Although precise numbers are impossible to come by, current estimates place the number of organized crime groups in Russia at between 3,000 and 5,000, with around 80 major organizations controlling operations. Although they participate in many of the same criminal activities as organized crime groups of the past, the Russian Mafia appears to lack the codes of conduct and respect that defined earlier such groups. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that the Russian Mafia will persist as long as the conditions at home remain conducive to international criminal activities.