User:Sakshivenkateswaran/sandbox

Introduction
Gangs have gained prominence in Russia's public discourse and popular culture since the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are either personified as the embodiment of evil and violence or a social utopia, comprised of strong bonds and fairness. The influence of gangs in a post-Soviet Russia has been acute. Their language and adherence to poniatiia (the moral code of Russian gangs) has seeped into public life of the Russian populace and commands the behavior of Russian elites.

The Diffusion of Gang Culture in the Public Sphere
The influence of street gangs prior to the fall of the Soviet Union was limited. In popular culture, they were restricted to songs about criminals that romanticized their life. These songs were sung at special occasions by workers, at homes or during travel. The popularity of these songs can be traced back to the 1950s when several prisoners were released from the Gulag and remain popular to this day. The vocabulary that the gangs employed entered everyday communication. Soon the lexicon of the average Russian citizen was infused with the language of the street gangs. For example, Russian men began to describe their masculinity in terms of criminal vocabulary. Even the poniatiia was accepted to be a universal code. In a survey conducted regarding the Russians' understanding of the code, 38 percent had a general idea of poniatiia, 5 percent were well versed in it and 3 percent emulated the code in their lives. The wide dissemination of gang culture is attributed to Russia's high prison rates. The prison culture made it possible for street youths to absorb the language of the street gangs.

The collapse of the Soviet Union became the catalyst for the gangs to enter an arena to battle for recognition, assets and power. A new system of violent regulation was established. It also led to several militant cultures gaining power such as the army, law enforcement and secret services who now make up the core of Putin's ruling elite. A culture of violence and a warrior's outlook was promulgated.

Since the stabilization of the political system under Putin post the 2000s, the poniatiia has become integral to the language of the social and political life. There exists a system of regulation that is not formalized yet understood that runs parallel to the state's authority. The figure of a gang member has come to symbolize primitiveness, brutality, excessive violence and exploitation of the weak. Any signs of civility, respect and manners are equated with weakness.

In the 1990s, the rule of the street gangs flourished but since then gangsterism has given way to kleptocracy in the state. Under Putin the gangster underworld has blended in with the state elite. The tattoos that marked allegiance to a gang have disappeared and given way to gangster-businessmen, the avtoritet ("authority"). The gangsters of this age have adopted a low profile and have been forced to play by the rules of the state under Putin's central authority. The Putin system has been described as the "biggest gang in town" having absorbed the gangster underworld.

Gang Culture in the International System
Russia is often referred to as the "mafia state" and its actions in the international arena are a reflection of the title it has earned. Putin himself has compared his behavior to that of a gangster. In his interview for his first biography he described himself as a "hooligan, not a [Young] Pioneer...I really was a bad boy". Photos and videos of Putin are often hyper masculine, a reflection of how gang members perceived themselves as. Even Putin's annexation of Crimea is often analyzed and observed through the lenses of a gangster's rationale. The result of amalgamating gangs into the state have given the Kremlin power to conduct covert operations in Ukraine. Hackers and contract killers have become handy in carrying out operations that absolve the state of accountability.

The country has a high level of corruption. Organized crime has been allowed to flourish under Putin. The values and practices of the street gangs are so ingrained that it has shaped Modern Russia. The underworld society of gangs has become entwined with the legitimate state. The gangs of today are not the uncivilized tattooed mob of the 1990s. Competition with the West has been replaced by enjoying the prospects that the West provides.

In Popular Culture
Though the gangs are equated with brutality, violence and incivility, the common Russian perceive their moral code with a certain fascination. This view of the gang as a gemeinschaft and embodiment of masculinity resonate with the populace in the form of songs, movies and other cultural instruments. The popular tropes of outlaws fighting against the oppressive system is seen as a fight for justice and truth even if they are from within prisons. For example, Fizruk, a popular sitcom featured the hero who was an ex-gangster who had fallen on hard times but has since then found no use for his violent skills. He forges a diploma to apply for a job at a Moscow school. Initially mocked he later on comes to earn the respect of the students and his peers due to his courage, directness and adventuress nature, all masculine qualities that he possesses. The other male leads are presented as lacking in certain features.

The structure of gangs also find fascination with the youth of Russia that are marginalized and excluded from a support system. It was observed that several young men dreamed of joining a gang, not by the prospect of earning, but by the opportunity of stability and security it offered.

Another television series Glukhar and its sequel, Karpov, featured an actual police station that functioned like a gang. While it was obligated to adhere to the state's authority, in practice they followed their own informal rules and understanding of justice.