The Vory, Mark Galeotti
The Vory, Mark Galeotti
4 Rating(s)
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The Vory
Russia's Super Mafia

Author: Mark Galeotti

Narrator: Nigel Patterson

Unabridged: 11 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/22/2018


Synopsis

Mark Galeotti is the go-to expert on organized crime in Russia, consulted by governments and police around the world. Now, Western listeners 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.

About Mark Galeotti

Mark Galeotti is senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations, Prague. An expert and prolific author on transnational crime and Russian security affairs, he has also advised the British Foreign Office and many government and law enforcement agencies in Europe and North America.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul on June 09, 2018

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......more

Goodreads review by Steven on June 22, 2018

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, i......more

Goodreads review by Boudewijn on January 27, 2023

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 t......more

Goodreads review by Lee on March 14, 2020

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......more