🇷🇺 | Russian Mafia

Russian organized crime or Russian , otherwise known as Bratva, is a collective of various organized crime elements originating in the former Soviet Union.

The acronym OPG is Organized Criminal (Prestupnaya in Russian) Group, used to refer to any of the Russian mafia groups, sometimes modified with a specific name, e.g. Orekhovskaya OPG or OCG is used.

Organized crime in Russia began in the Russian Empires, but it was not until the Soviet era that vory v zakone (“thieves-in-law”) emerged as leaders of prison groups in forced labor camps, and their honor code became more defined.

With the end of World War II, the death of Joseph Stalin, and the fall of the Soviet Union, more gangs emerged in a flourishing black market, exploiting the unstable governments of the former Republics.

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Вор в законе | Thieves In Law

Thieves’ Code of Conduct – There is a traditional code of conduct within this old style of organized crime in Russia called “Vory v Zakone,” or thieves in law.

This group existed throughout the Soviet era and continues today throughout the republics of the former Soviet Union. In this society the thieves in law live and obey the “Vorovskoy Zakon,” the thieves’ code. The members are bound by 18 codes and if they are broken, the transgression is punishable by death.

Law enforcement officials in the former Soviet Union indicate that most of the organized crime groups are well organized with sophisticated technical equipment, computers, transportation, financial support, and an excellent counterintelligence network. Those groups are involved in extortion, precious metal and raw material smuggling, money laundering, fraud, weapons smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and black marketing.

The Thieves’ Code

1. Forsake his relatives–mother, father, brothers, sisters…
2. Not have a family of his own — no wife, no children; this does not however, preclude him from having a lover.
3. Never, under any circumstances work, no mafter how much difficulty this brings-, live only on means gleaned from thievery.
4. Help other thieves — both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves.
5. Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices (i.e. dens, districts, hideouts, safe apartments, etc.).
6. 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.
7. Demand a convocation of inquiry for the purpose of resolving disputes in the event of a conflict between oneself and other thieves, or between thieves.
8. If necessary, participate in such inquiries.
9. Carry out the punishment of the offending thief as decided by the convocation.
10. Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by the convocation.
11. Have good command of the thieves’jargon (“Fehnay”).
12. Not gamble without being abie to cover losses.
13. Teach the trade to young beginners.
14. Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves.
15. Not lose your reasoning ability when using alcohol.
16. Have nothing to do with the authorities (particularly with the ITU [Correctional Labor Authority]), not participate in public activities, nor join any community organizations.
17. Not take weapons from the hands of authorities; not serve in the military.
18. Make good on promises given to other thieves.

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Солнцевская братва | Solntsevskaya Bratva

The Solntsevskaya gang was founded in the late 1980s by Sergei Mikhailov.

Based in the Solntsevo District of Moscow, the gang recruited local unemployed, aggressive young men as foot soldiers and also made use of thief in law Dzhemal Khachidze to enhance their reputation amongst established criminals.

The Solntsevo District was also strategically located near the M3 highway leading to Ukraine, the MKAD, Moscow’s ring road, as well as the Vnukovo International Airport. Controlling these transport hubs allowed the Solntsevo group to muscle in on the car import business. But by the early 1990s, the Solntsevo’s dominance was challenged by the Chechen mafia. Together with the Orekhovskaya gang and other Slavic mobs, the Solntsevo made an alliance to drive the Chechens out. The gang war claimed many casualties, such as a gun battle at the Kazakhstan Cinema where six Chechens and four Russians were killed.

The gang was at one point linked to criminal mastermind Semion Mogilevich, through whom they laundered money. But a 1995 party at a Prague hotel, attended by Mikhailov as well as Uzbek drug trafficker Gafur Rakhimov, was raided by Czech police who received information that they were planning to kill Mogilevich there following a dispute. Mogilevich himself was nowhere to be found, having received advance information about both groups’ intentions.
By the end of the 1990s, the Solntsevskaya gang started moving into the banking sector, a move which enabled them to launder their money as well as get closer to the oligarchs.

Sergei Mikhailov is the man responsible for the formation of Solntsevskaya Bratva aka the Solntsevo Brotherhood. Mikhas, as he is called, was a waiter and served at different restaurants in Moscow, but the pay just wasn’t enough for his liking, and that’s when he started a life of crime. In 1984, Mikhas was apprehended and charged with fraud and theft (via Gangsters Inc). He was sentenced to six months in the Gulag, a prison labor camp with harsh conditions.

Sergei Mikhailov is the man responsible for the formation of Solntsevskaya Bratva aka the Solntsevo Brotherhood. Mikhas, as he is called, was a waiter and served at different restaurants in Moscow, but the pay just wasn’t enough for his liking, and that’s when he started a life of crime. In 1984, Mikhas was apprehended and charged with fraud and theft (via Gangsters Inc). He was sentenced to six months in the Gulag, a prison labor camp with harsh conditions.

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Tattoos And Their Meanings | ✯

These tattoos became intricate works of art that detailed not only an inmate’s crimes, but a good portion of their lives.
Tattoos had to be earned through physical acts or other ways of standing up to authority, whether it was inside or outside of the prison.

Thieves’ stars on knees – When worn on the knees, the stars are a sign of a prisoner who commands respect. The implied meaning is “I will never get on my knees in front of anyone.”

Thieves’ stars on the chest – Mark a higher rank. Only the most respected can wear the thieves’ stars in that area of the body. The tattoos must be earned, and an inmate wearing an undeserved tattoo risks a beating or worse.

Portraits of Stalin and Lenin – In the 1900s, prisoners believed placing tattooed portraits of Lenin and Stalin on their chests would protect them from a firing squad. The authorities would not shoot at any images of their leaders; instead, they would shoot prisoners in the back of the head.

Epaulettes – An epaulette, or ornamental shoulder piece typically found on a military uniform, are used to signify rank within the Thieves In Law. Known ranks were captains, lieutenants and colonels

Oskal (Big Grin) – Tigers, leopards or snarling wolves are called Oskals, the Russian word for ‘Big Grin.’ These tattoos indicate aggression or hostility toward the authorities.

Spider – The spider crawling on the right shoulder is indicative of a thief. If the spider is crawling up the shoulder, the thief is still active. If the spider is crawling down, this means the thief is done with the criminal life.

Cathedrals (Kremlin – Cathedrals, or Kremlins, represent time spent incarcerated and are iconic Russian prison tattoos. The more domes an inmate’s church has indicates the number of sentences they have served over their lifetime. These tattoos can be found anywhere on the body.

Manacles – Manacles are another sign of sentencing, and are sometimes paired with cathedrals found on the hands. Manacles mean that the sentence the inmate served was more than five years in length.

Grudge – A grudge is generally depicted as a dog bearing its teeth. This implies a grudge with authorities, or a grudge with life in general. It shows disdain for police and other authority figures.

Rings – Ring tattoos on the hands are immediately indicative of a convict. Their meanings range from what type of crimes the convict committed, to aggression against authority, to sentences served.

Woman – A woman tattooed onto the chest of an inmate is symbolic of that person having been initiated into the Thieves in Law. This type of tattoo may incorporate a rose. Conversely, if that woman is placed on the stomach, then the tattoo is a sign of a prostitute.

Flowers – A tulip or a rose ensnared in barbed wire or wrapped around a dagger is symbolic of a convicted imprisoned before the age of 18.

Skulls – A skull is a symbol of standing up against authority; it means to “bear one’s teeth” against the Soviet power. This was to prove they were not afraid of authority. Inmates earn these tattoos by standing up to figures of authority, such as correctional officers.