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The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia review – a kleptocracy in the making
A vor-v-zakone – a “thief-in-law” Soviet mafia boss – offered him protection in exchange for conversation and games of chess. They could barely have been more different, but they did share a principle: they refused to cooperate with the Soviet government. Thieves are mythologised in Russia, much in the way the mafia are in American cinema, and their music and slang are widespread. There is no honour among Russia’s thieves and it is past time that we woke up to that fact. • The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia by Mark Galeotti is published by Yale University Press (£20).
Source: The Guardian April 09, 2018 06:00 UTC
