From Fear to Fraternity: A Russian Tale of Crime, Economy and Modernity

The end of communism marked the emergence of a worldwide 'threat' from Russian organised crime. Patricia Rawlinson argues that this threat has been seriously misunderstood. She explains that the problem originates in the economic systems that nurture organised crime. This encompasses not only the failures of communism but also the problems of free market economies.

Drawing on interviews with members of the Russian criminal underworld, the business community, journalists and the police, she argues that we need to recognise organised crime as a symptom rather than a cause of economic sickness, not just for Russia but for any market economy.