The concept of "thieves in law" originated in Russia and has no analogues in the criminal practice of other countries of the world. This criminal community appeared in the USSR in the 30s of the XX century. It has developed a clear set of internal rules, a kind of criminal “code of honor”.
The so-called "thieves in law" appeared during the years of Stalinist repressions. Of course, the criminals had no political motives whatsoever, cooperating with the now famous community. However, the motive for this consolidation still had to do with power. Thieves in law believed that they should oppose her in every possible way and show demonstrative insubordination.
At first, members of the community strictly observed the unwritten criminal traditions that have come down to those days since pre-revolutionary times. All of them strictly obeyed a strict set of special rules. There were many of them, the most unusual. In addition to the categorical prohibition on cooperation with the authorities in all its forms, there were other restrictions.
For example, a thief in law was never allowed to have a family. It was believed that he should completely devote his life to crime, comrades, and his wife and children make a person vulnerable, allow him to influence him. Today the criminals have already moved away from this tradition.
It is interesting that during the Great Patriotic War and a little later, the world of thieves in law experienced a serious shock. The fact is that quite a few criminal authorities then decided to support the country in difficult years for it. Some of the thieves in law joined the ranks of the Soviet army and went to the front.
However, other lawyers, who strictly observed the ban on cooperation with the state, did not agree with this. They christened the apostates "bitches." And when they returned to the zones after the victory, a real criminal war broke out between supporters of different camps. She got the name "bough".
A real thief in law is one who has a lot of convictions, does not deviate from the rules existing in the community, with unquestionable authority in the criminal world. Such people usually resolve all disputes in the criminal environment, in their hands the thieves' common fund, control over all types of criminal business, over the situation in colonies and prisons.
However, today the community is rather fragmented. There are constant redistribution of spheres of influence, various groups are fighting. Nevertheless, this institution still exists and operates. There are even thieves in law who influence politics, the country's economy as a whole, and the government. Experts say that there are now 10 or 15 such people in Russia.
