SOC421H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Economy Of The Soviet Union, Protection Racket, Extortion
Salagaev and Safin “ Capitalizing on change: Gangs, Ideology, and the transitions to a
liberal economy in the Russian Federation
• Early 1960’s to early 1970’s saw a decline in the youth crime rate in the Soviet Union
o Considered to be the end of banditry
• Spreading of gangs in the late 1970’s
o Caused by the gradual transformation of the USSR
o Also caused by the introduction of a market economy which allowed spaces for
illegal economic activity that allowed gangs to institutionalize
• Young gangs in the 1970’s were seen as the predecessors of contemporary Russian youth
gangs
• The new wave of youth gangs established themselves as powerful actors in a booming
illegal economy, competing for control over economic resources and dividing illegal and
semi-legal sphere of the new post Soviet economy among themselves
• This chapter looks at the origins of youth gangs in both Soviet and Russia to understand
the driving forces behind gang formation and focuses on the similarities and differences
between the soviet gangs of the 1970s and todays Russian gangs
• Outline
o First section focuses on the emergence of youth gangs in the Soviet period
o Second looks at the development of youth gangs in the post Soviet or Russian
period
o Third assesses the similarities and differences between gangs of the two areas
• Although the emergence of gangs in both periods is linked to economic transformation,
contemporary Russian youth gangs have become more professionalized and are
becoming integrated into adult gangs
• Thus economic factors are considered as significant factors for both gang formation and
transformation
The origins of soviet youth gangs
• Groups Prior to the 1970’s :
o “proto gangs”
▪ Group hooliganism
▪ Delinquency
▪ Violence, obscene language, group rape and assaults
▪ Done in the large cities of the USSR
▪ Disbanded in the 1930’ due to strict measures by authorities
o Besprizorniki
▪ Groups of homeless and unattended youth and children
▪ Emerged during the Russian Civil War (1917-1923) and in some regions
during WW2
▪ Disappeared aftoer normal living conditions returned post war
o Protesting youth groups
▪ During the 1950-1960’s
▪ Largely unorganized
o Neighbourhood peer groups
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▪ Caused by the ideological disappointment with the Soviet regime and the
youth led social protest
▪ Shared interests in sports , film, music, etc.
▪ Out of these the soviet gangs of the late 1970’s grew
• One of the primary features of the Soviet culture was ideological indoctrination
o Children raised in communist families were raided in constant ideologically
correct education
o Consisting of nursery schools, primary, secondary and higher education
o Children were expected to join a communist organization at each phase of their
education (aside from nursery)
▪ Oktyabyata (primary school)
▪ Pioneers and komsomoltsy (secondary school)
▪ And join a communist party if they wanted to move upward in their
careers as well
o The communist ideology was also present at clubs, army, leisure, so the only
place that was ideology free was the neighbourhood
• A peer group is a collective unit where members share the same characteristics such as
age and ethnicity, basic features include
o high degree of intragroup social solidarity
o a code of behaviour often based on the rejection of mainstream adult values and
experiences
• not always deviant but can provide the opportunity for a delinquent career
• youth gangs are peer groups that are characterized by
o territoriality
o unfinished primary socialization
o an orientation toward delinquent activities
o rigid hierarchical structure
▪ role differentiation
▪ regular meetings
▪ payment to a common money fund
• part of the reason for the transformation of neighbourhood peer groups into youth gangs
during the 1970’s was that under the Soviet regime, any behaviour that appeared to
ideologically counter to Soviet culture met with a strong reaction of the part of the Soviet
officials
o very frequent with regard to countercultures and imitated western subcultures like
the hippies
o even the slightest appearance of a foreign lifestyle met severe oppositions, this
would turn provoke a reaction against the authorities among youth
• youth experience cognitive dissonance as if they are living in two worlds
o between the constructed and witnessed reality, the more youth refused to stick to
the proposed model of the soviet union
• the soviet system was unable to provide the necessary social imaginary for soviet citizens
o many soviet citizens felt hungry for an imaginary beyond the communist one but
Soviet declared that this isn’t necessary
▪ those who failed to conform to the mainstream communist lifestyle were
marginalized
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o its high level of social security mean that living in a definite and stable society led
to people wanting a bit of adventure
▪ in the Western world this problem was solved through high levels of
competition, freedom of entrepreneurship and social stratification
▪ so one of the main reasons for the appearance of soviet youth gangs was
systemic boredom, disappointment with the communist ideology and
soviet lifestyle
▪ lack of leisure opportunities for youths can be seen as having another
influential factor in the transformation of youth peer groups into youth
gangs in the USSR
▪ Kazan phenomenon; the very visible lacked leisure facilities such as
cinemas, discos, and affordable cafes
o Rapid industrialization of the USSR during the 1950’s and 1960’s
▪ Many of the cities that saw gangs emerge during the 1970s like Kazan,
Chelny, etc. had large plants and factories constructed
▪ The factories encouraged migration of people to big cities for employment
▪ When people moved they brought their norms, values and traditions when
they came into their new urban environments
• One of these traditions including traditional forms of intervillage
ritualized feuding which most of the males participated in
• Youth started to fight over territory between different
neighbourhoods and streets affiliated with rival villages
o The economic reform of 1965 (the Kosygin- Lieberman reform)
▪ Provided autonomy to a large number of state economic enterprises
▪ Led to widespread production and circulation of unregistered goods in
soviet society
▪ Created opportunities for profitable illegal economic activity
▪ Created a special social class known as “tsekhoviki” (illegal enterprise
managers or underground entrepreneurs) both producing and selling goods
outside of the state distribution system
▪ The tsekhoviki rapidly developed extensive networks with corrupt state
officials and with groups of young men who are hired to provide
protection and ensure the smooth operation of illegal transactions
▪ The youth that were hired for protection were usually young boxers or
wrestlers that would work for the tsekhoviki
Case study: The Tyap- Lyap Gang
• This case also shows how this youth peer groups transformation into a youth gang
ultimately led it to a further transformation into a youth gang ultimately led it to a further
transformation into a more powerful criminal gang that became widely known for its
violence and a broader scope of criminal activity
• It originated from a youth peer group in a neighbourhood inhabited by the workers of the
Teplokontrol plant in Kazan
• It was associated with a boxing club organized by a Sergey Antipov
• Connection with the local tsekhoviki gradually drew the group into criminal activities and
led to it becoming the backbone of the Tyap- Lyap gang
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Document Summary
The origins of soviet youth gangs: groups prior to the 1970"s : It originated from a youth peer group in a neighbourhood inhabited by the workers of the. It was associated with a boxing club organized by a sergey antipov: connection with the local tsekhoviki gradually drew the group into criminal activities and led to it becoming the backbone of the tyap- lyap gang. Assessing similarities and differences between soviet and russian gangs: contemporary russian gangs are generally more organized compared to the gangs in the. Recruitment of new members and leaving the gang: forced recruitment was quite common in soviet gangs especially when these began to become institutionalized. In the early and mid 1980s, youths were frequently forced into the gang through constand humiliation by existing gang members. Russian gangs tend to seek new gang members who will first be capable of conducting illegal and semi- legal affairs.
