Origins of the "Vory v Zakone": Russia’s Criminal Elite

 Origins of the "Vory v Zakone" Phenomenon

There are several theories on how the institution known as "Vory v Zakone" ("Thieves in Law") emerged. According to numerous literary sources and academic studies, the term "Vor v Zakone" first appeared following the 1917 Russian Revolution. Its formation within the criminal world occurred naturally, triggered by political turmoil, chaos, and economic collapse, which significantly boosted banditry and robbery. Moreover, groups actively marginalized by society were exploited to destabilize Soviet authority.

 Traditional Criminals and Political Dissidents

In the criminal milieu of that era, two main currents emerged. The first group consisted of criminals with longstanding criminal careers. The second comprised political opponents of the Bolsheviks, who consciously chose a criminal path out of ideological motives. However, attempts to unite political and common criminals by drawing political prisoners into criminal ranks ultimately failed. Instead, political prisoners frequently became targets of younger criminal groups, earning the status - "zhigany" (Russian slang meaning daring or rebellious). Zhigany borrowed criminal traditions and customs but adapted them to new circumstances. They deliberately underscored differences from mainstream criminality rooted in the political subtext of their actions and adhered to a limited set of criminal laws and rules they created themselves.

 Formation of the Criminal Code

These newly adopted criminal norms aimed to organize ideological opposition against the political regime. Their code included:

• Refusing to work or take part in activities benefiting society.

• Prohibition against having an official family.

• Prohibition against participation in military service and bearing arms.

• Prohibition against cooperating with authorities as either witnesses or victims.

• Mandatory contributions to the "obshchak" (the communal criminal fund used for mutual support among prisoners).

Thus, new criminal traditions and customs were established. Traditional criminal attributes (such as tattoos, jargon, nicknames, gestures) and emotional expressions (songs, poetry, sayings) also gained importance in the criminal world.

 Leadership Crisis and Emergence of "Thieves in Law"

By the late 1920s and early 1930s, a leadership crisis emerged within the criminal underworld. Lower-ranking criminals increasingly opposed their own leaders, demanding tangible results. Persistent conflicts between traditional criminals ("urkas") and the newer rebellious criminals ("zhigany") necessitated a more sophisticated criminal code. Built upon voluntary criminal traditions and customs, a unified "Thieves’ Law" emerged, governing behavior among top-ranking criminals. Henceforth, the most authoritative individuals in the criminal world began to be known as "Vory v Zakone" ("Thieves in Law").

 Alternative Theory: Deliberate Creation by Soviet Authorities

However, an alternative theory suggests that the "Vory v Zakone" phenomenon was deliberately encouraged by the Soviet Main Directorate of Corrective Labor Camps (GULAG administration). Prisoner labor played a crucial role in Soviet economic projects, including the construction of major industrial facilities (hydroelectric power plants, metallurgical plants) and transportation infrastructure (railways, tunnels). Engaging large groups of people in these complex, isolated, and strategically vital projects required internal prisoner self-governance beyond mere administration. Authorities needed internal leaders among prisoners, thus indirectly facilitating the rise of the "Vory v Zakone"—who carried an entirely different ideology than politically motivated criminals, serving as a stabilizing element in the chaotic penal system.

Historically and today, the "Vory v Zakone" have been acknowledged as the elite of the criminal world. They not only manage the internal structure of criminal societies but also actively influence political and economic processes in society at large. Solving major criminal disputes, they consistently serve as the highest criminal authority.