The Vory

Russia's Super Mafia

By: Mark Galeotti

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

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 20th 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.

©2018 Mark Galeotti (P)2018 Tantor

Great

For a non-fiction book, this book keeps you engaged even with the amount of information being delivered. Also, the author jumps around in historical timelines but doesn’t loose you. The narrator is very easy to listen to, and has a clear voice that is not annoying. He is a great pick who seems to be able translate and understand the Russian language, but doesn’t overwhelm you with too many new foreign words.

The book is not politically bias so ignore the communist’s review. He/she is looking for fiction because lets remember the communist never believes communism has ever been tried.

The book however, gives historical, cultural, and contextual information which allows you to see the view from the mafia’s thought process. That’s it! Also this book does not glorify the mafia. The author is simply giving a historical account, and there is much to tell.

Overt Bias

The author pauses the book several times to talk about how much he hates Communism and it gets very annoying. Normally I wouldn't mind reading a book about Communism, but if the author wanted to write a book about his political opinions then he should have written that book instead.

The most irritating part was when he started talking about the growth of the Vory. This should have been the best part of the book, but it became clear to me here, that the author was unwilling or unable to write this chapter without more than half of it being dedicated to their hatred of the USSR.

If you're into commie-bashing or if you don't mind reading an author with obvious political bias, then go ahead and get this book. The subject matter is very interesting and the writing and performance are about average.

Not everyone who carries a knife is a cook.

"If Lenin had shot more criminals and hired fewer, we might have seen a very different Soviet Union."
- Soviet police officer, 1991, quoted in The Vory by Mark Galeotti

- Russian proverb

A nice survey and history of the Vory V Zakone "thief within the code". The best part of this Yale published and well researched book is the history of how the Russian mafia developed in parallel with the Soviet Union and Russia and changed and adapted to fit the new realities. I also enjoyed the sections that dealt with the language, rituals, and tattoos of the Vory. The book loses a bit of velocity as it tries to describe the different facets of the Russian organized crime's ecosystem (Georgian, Chechen, street vor to vor-broker). But still, these sections were necessary to understand that the Russian organized crime has multiple models of control, multiple levels of partnership, etc. It is difficult to even (from both epistemological and ontological perspective) understand exactly what controlled by organized crime means in Russia. The corruption and the cooperation of the state and businesses is so extensive that getting a firm idea of how much Russia is a mafia state seems hard to bite into.

Anyway, this is a fascinating read and helpful in understanding Modern Russia and how figures like Stalin, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin contributed to the current corruption in Russia. It is also useful to understanding how Putin uses organized crime to support the Russian state (and his personal power) and the current conflict with Ukraine and Russia's desire to "Make Russia Great Again." It is also, in a minor way, also helpful to a degree in understanding the relationship Trump has with Ukraine and Russia (both officially and unofficially), although not much is directly said about Trump's ties with Russian money in this book.

Insightful, Informative, & Brilliantly Written

Mark Galeotti vividly illustrates his expertise on Russian Organized Crime and Post-Soviet Politics. Galeotti’s ability to communicate and organize this subject matter into a highly enjoyable narrative is truly impressive and pleasure to read!

Excellent

An excellent book by the most thoughtful Russia-watcher of our time. Galeotti avoids the distorting Russophobia and hyperbole that's in vogue in the Trump era.

Social Studies You Aren't Supposed To Know

This is valid social studies and part of human history. The human plight and capability. Very well documented and reader-friendly. Fascinating. Wherever you are parked in the world, this culture is likely within hours of you whether you recognize it or not. You don't have to be from N.Y.C. to grow up connected to some form of it. While we sit around America worrying if we might have "post-traumatic stress disorder", "ADD", "Chemical imbalances", this nation rose up from the gulags in Siberia against impossible odds of surviving. Men, women, and children. They have become a formidable and unkillable extroverted force. Seemingly inoculated against all social barriers and suppression. Shapeshifters that have one step into a magicality born from an enforced exile into the supernatural as the only room left with oxygen. This book is a journalistic masterpiece. Thank You Mark Galeotti. Standing Ovation! A labor of love.

Anti Russia Propaganda

Just barfing random opinions. Who knows how factual any of it is. Doesn’t seem like the story is connected to the mafia at all just outside western interpretations of newspaper stories comes off as oversimplified. Hard to follow, this book of all over the place. Couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Excellent treatise on Russian underworld

Anyone that wants to understand how the Russian government formed around the underworld should have this book in their library.

Almost too much info

Galeotti is clearly THE expert in Russian organized crime, and does an excellent job of providing specific examples that illustrate the overall concepts and themes he highlights. However, he often repeats the same ideas from chapter to chapter, and doesn’t sufficiently synthesize the information to bring it all home. I was excited by the introduction to get this world-renowned expert to interpret all of these really provocative ideas, but instead he relies heavily on the recounting of events to do the interpretation for him. The book almost provides too many details that are oddly specific — some of the stories are so granular that one feels they’re for an academic audience. Overall there’s a lack of excitement and vibrancy in his writing, and his granular attention to detail vs. the “big picture” make it easy to miss the point of certain sections. The reader, Nigel Patterson, is very talented.

Lots of info

Don’t mind the bad review from one commie, this is a great book, you learn about the history and all the different organizations, the stories behind the Slavic and Caucasian groups, very interesting topic.

Great

Dense
But very good. Really shows how organised crime has profoundly influenced modern Russia.
An important text, if you're trying to get your head round what's going on over there.

Dull

Dull and boring. I had to give up - I listen when driving and this was making me want to fall asleep at the wheel.

Good insight into dysfunctional society

The writer gives an overview of the historical and upto date corruption which has run and is still running through Russia good read

A Deep Dive into the Culture of Russian Criminality

This is a satisfyingly detailed but unnerving look at how lawlessness and corruption have become endemic in the Russian state. A must read for anyone with in interest in the malign influence the Kremlin is now seeking to have on the map of Europe. All credit to the author’s research skills and extensive knowledge of the country in this ultimately very well balanced and thought-provoking work. Great presentation by Nigel Patterson too.

Excellent, Detailed, Informative and Entertaining

A very interesting and in-depth is iSight with excellent narration, a must for anyone interested in a behind the scenes look at Russian organised crime

Excellent analysis

Excellent analysis.

The author has provided extensive research in an easily understood and interesting format.

The author provides plausible and persuasive analysis as to why the Russian gangsters came into existence, developed new business, and interacted with mainstream Russian society.

Disturbingly, despite excellent and fair handed analysis, the author remains collectivist, favouring the state and disparaging individual property rights and the profit motive.

Unusually good narration too.

Really enjoyed this

This was superb. What an interesting book, beautifully written and narrated. It's gives brilliant context to the criminal invasion of Ukraine too. Highly recommended.

Great insight Into a dysfunction regime

Well presented and researched narrative interesting to see how the history of the country has brought it to this point…. In 2023 .. good foundation for learning about the current catastrophe playing out in Europe

Fascinating history

Found this really interesting, and good as a slant on the history of modern Russia. In places too detailed for me but overall glad I bought and listened to this work.

very insightful

A scary insight especially given today's invasion of Ukraine and the seeming growth of corrupt power not just in Russia but other countries with weak institutions.