- Thief in law
Thief in law (Russian: вор в законе, "vor v zakone"; plural thieves in law "vory v zakone") is a skilled individual, particularly a thief, within the
Russia n criminal world who satisfies certain requirements of the Russian criminal traditions and are similar to the "Cosa Nostra " inItaly .History
Although Russia has long had criminals and bandits operating in the vast peripheral areas of the nation, during the disorder of the Revolution armed gangs proliferated until they were a very significant factor in society. This became known as the " "vorovskoy mir" or "thieves' world".
As the
Soviet Union was brought back to order, theNKVD nearly destroyed the criminal underworld in the Soviet Union. However, it was in the prison camps (gulag s) ofStalin that a new system arose, the "vory v zakone".cite news |title=Vory v Zakone has hallowed place in Russian criminal lore.|author=Michael Schwirtz |publisher=International Herald Tribune |date=2008-07-29 |url=http://iht.com/articles/2008/07/29/europe/moscow.php]The "thieves in law" formed as a society for mutual support within the prison camps, "governed the dark gaps in Soviet life beyond the reach of the
KGB " and adopted a system of collective responsibility, and swearing a code of "complete submission to the laws of criminal life, including obligations to support the criminal ideal, and rejection of labor and political activities."Fact|date=July 2008 As an example, should a Vor (Вор) ever be unfortunate enough to be incarcerated in a prison camp, he would refuse to perform any labor, as the code would mandate that "Thy own prison shalt thou not make." The groups also organized their own courts around a code of thieves honor and tradition. Acceptance into the group was often marked by extensive tattooing (seeCriminal tattoo ). The tattooing would often be indicative of rank within the society and/or noteworthy criminal accomplishments. Reportedly, "while theCommunist Party had a steadfast grip on government and society, the Vory had something of a monopoly on crime."After the breakup of the Soviet Union the "vory" assumed a leading role within the Russian criminal hierarchy (see
Russian Mafia ). The group was able to "infiltrate the top political and economic strata while taking command of a burgeoning crime network that spread murderously through the post-Soviet countries." They are given the title by other "vory" and in order to be accepted they must demonstrate considerable leadership skills, personal ability, intellect and charisma. Once accepted they must live according to the code. The penalty for violation of this code is often mutilation or death. Reportedly, "today the Vory has spread around the world, to Madrid, Berlin and New York" and is "involved in everything frompetty theft to billion-dollar money-laundering while also acting as unofficial arbiter among conflicting Russian criminal factions."One famous "Vor V Zakone" is
Vladimir Podatev who was appointed a member of the commission for human rights under the PresidentYeltsin , in spite of three previous felony convictions for murder, assault, and rape. Another famous "vor" isVyacheslav Ivankov , notorious mobster with convictions in both the former Soviet Union and theUnited States .Reportedly, as capitalism begun to take hold of Russia, an increasing number of college educated criminals begun to take over more lucrative ventures. While these new criminal actors first worked with the Vory in the 1990s, in the first decade of the 21st century, ties to big business and government grew in importance. Consequently, while the "Vory are still strong in gambling and retail trade," their importance "in Russian economy and society" has decreased.
The Thief's Code
According to Aleksandr Gurov, an expert on the Vory who headed the organized crime units of the Soviet Interior Ministry and the KGB, "unlike the Cosa Nostra the Vory has 'less rules, but more severe rules' [and the] members must have no ties to the government, meaning they cannot serve in the army or cooperate with officials while in prison. They must also have served several jail sentences before they can claim the distinction. They should not marry."
Furthermore, "ethnicity has rarely determined whether someone can join the club, and today most members, even those active inside Russia, are from other post-Soviet countries and are not ethnic Russians."
Under the code of the "vory", a thief must...
*Forsake his relatives -- father, brothers, sisters...Fact|date=March 2008
*Not have a family of his own -- no wife, no children; this does not however, preclude him from having a lover.Fact|date=March 2008
*Never, under any circumstances work, no matter how much difficulty this brings; live only on means gleaned from theft. Violent crimes and sex crimes are strongly frowned upon and may endanger a "vor's" status. Arms smuggling and drug trafficking are considered a form of commerce and are therefore incompatible with the status of a thief in law.
*Help other thieves -- both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves.
*Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices (i.e. dens, districts, hideouts, safe apartments, etc.).
*In unavoidable situations (if a thief is under investigation) to take the blame for someone else's crime; this buys the other person time of freedom.Fact|date=March 2008
*Demand aconvocation of inquiry for the purpose of resolving disputes in the event of a conflict between oneself and other thieves, or between thieves.
*If necessary, participate in such inquiries.
*Carry out the punishment of the offending thief as decided by the convocation.Fact|date=March 2008
*Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by the convocation.Fact|date=March 2008
*Have good command of the thieves' jargon ("Fenya ").
*Not gamble without being able to cover losses.
*Teach the trade to young beginners.Fact|date=March 2008
*Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves.Fact|date=March 2008
*Not lose your reasoning ability when using alcohol.Fact|date=March 2008
*Have nothing to do with the authorities (particularly with the ITU, Correctional Labor Authority), not participate in public activities, nor join any community organizations.
*Not take weapons from the hands of authorities; not serve in the military.
*Make good on promises given to other thieves.In popular culture
*The "vory" are featured prominently in the 2007
David Cronenberg film "Eastern Promises ", with members being a part of a criminal gang involved insex trafficking andsmuggling .*They are also featured in the popular Soviet comedy film "
Gentlemen of Fortune ". Although the issue is not directly addressed, both the main character and the criminal he is impersonating sport prison tattoos that may be found on a "vor". The black comedy filmZhmurki also features a character who is a "vor".*In the Soviet TV miniseries
The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed the police are tasked with bringing down a gang of vicious robbers known as the Black Cats in post-war Moscow, several members of which are described as thieves in law.*The Thief's Code is also featured in the "
Criminal Minds " episode "Honor Among Thieves".*The "vory" is featured in the episode "Disappearing Act", in which a father/son duo in the
Witness Protection Program are connected to "Sergei", a local vory leader in the United States.*The "Vor v'zakone" also make an appearance in the 2006
Paul Walker filmRunning Scared , whereJohn Noble stars as aRussian Mafia family head inLittle Odessa named Ivan Yugorsky. Ivan is the uncle of Anzor Yugorsky played byKarel Roden , and next-door neighbor of Paul Walker's character Joey Gazelle, who is a smalltime associate of Tommy and Frank Perello, who run the localitalian mafia . Near the end of the movie, during an argument in ahockey rink , Joey Gazelle uses the word 'vor' as an insult to the elder Yugorsky, ultimately precipitating a fight and gunbattle between the two rival mafias.References
* cite book
first = A. I.
last = Gurov
title = Professional Crime Past and Present
location = Moscow
publisher = Iuridicheskaia Literatura
year = 1990
* cite book
last = Fikenauer
first = James O
coauthors = Waring, Elin J.
title = Russian Mafia In America: Immigration Culture and Crime
location = Boston
publisher = Northeastern University Press
year = 1998External links
* [http://www.gangland.net/russianmafia.htm Gangland.net- The Russian Mafia]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.