is possible to find breaches. It is possible to find law-breaking irregularities in all casinos. But who will check it if some governor assistant sits there? In general, it is a win-win situation…
The organization of prostitution is also speading. Some companies offering massage service, saunas, escort-firms, «call girls» operate in the city. Street prostitution has no clearly marked centers now; it is formed around stations, hotels. Hotel prostitution has existed from Soviet times till nowadays. All hotels of the city are divided between criminals groups. Criminal organizations deal in export of prostitutes across the border.
I.: What about the organization of prostitution?
R.: Prostitution in St. Petersburg is already an industry. And did not happen overnight. There are hundreds of «kontor» (illegal agencies of sex services). The business is more developed in Moscow… In our city the most expensive woman are in pubs, hotels and casinos. Then there are „call girls“, girls in saunas, girls in «centers of leisure». Also in… massage salons, make-up salons. Street girls are the cheapest…
I: And what about children's prostitution?
R.: Sure. This is very expensive. But there are too many drunkards, who are selling their own children. Then it is possible literally for a bottle of vodka too. And whenlf speak of prostitution in general, certainly, there is male prostitution and gay prostitution too. And males are higher in cost.
I: What can you say about «business trips»?
R.: Yes, it happens. Moreover, these girls are not always prostitutes. It can be a team of girls for striptease work, or working in service in general. But they are exported to, for example, Turkey and they are forced to work as prostitutes. They are lucky if they can escape. These stories usually end badly…
3, Mid 1990s to early 2000s
The third period, from mid 90s to early 2000s is a period of the bloom of «traditional» organized crime and of its gradual introduction into the organs of power and legal business.
Criminal organizations display a keen interest in privatization. One of our respondents said: «Their goal is to take hold of real estate». They obtain information about forthcoming auctions, come to the auctions with their armed men and decide who buys what property and at what price. Active rivals from legal businesses are requested to abstain from buying in order to avoid trouble.
The guns trading business has been very widespread and profitable since the mid 1990s. The Russian Army operates in hard economic conditions. Larceny of technicians and weapons from units becomes a regular channel of weapons coming onto the illegal market.
The illegal drugs market is being developed and changed. Before it was cannabis and poppy straw in the first place, now it is heroin, and exotic cocaine wich appeared earlier. Criminal organizations of St. Petersburg actively co-operate with regional representatives of organized crime, including foreign organizations, which deal with growing, production, and the trafficking of drugs to the city.
Russian criminal organizations have different dimensions, organizational structures, specialization, but a unified, general essence: illegal enterprises.
The following elements are typical of organized crime in this period:
• its widespread sphere of influence (they control over 40-60 % of the country's enterprises and 60-80 % banks);
• a very high profit („super-profit“) derived from criminal activity;
• organized crime performs some of the functions of law-enforcement bodies: «arbitration», «enforcement of rulings (verdicts)», «executive functions», protection rackets – the so-called «krysha» (roof), etc.
• total corruption of power, administrative and law-enforcement bodies at all levels;
• a wide social basis for organized crime, because, firstly, many idle hands are available among youth, and, secondly, in Russia legal business activity is impossible due to corruption, high taxes, criminal mentality and social anomie;
• the great extent to which violent methods are used;
• the new tendencies: striving for the legalization of criminal activity; laundering money; transition to legal and semi-legal activity; infiltration of legal business and of the power structure;
• the politicization of organized crime and the criminalization of politics and the economy.
4. The contemporary period
The fourth period, it is the contemporary one (from the early to mid 2000s) with unique particularities, which cannot be explained from the point of view of the usual features oforganized crime.
Below I cite my interview (2005) with the police officer of a unit specialized in fighting with organized crime (UBOP).
I.: What do you think about contemporary Russian organized crime?
R.: It isn't! There are we, «ment'y»[495]! Who are the «krysha» [roof], who «protect» the stalls, the market, «points»[496]? They are ment'y… Today all small trade enterprises, small and middle-sized business are under menty's roof Bandit won't come close!
