As a Russian myself, this was very interesting! As a child, I was told a lot by older kids about the thieves and criminals of my homeland, the 90s and all. Thanks a lot, would love to hear more about different criminal organisations around the world! Edit: There is no need to hate me for my ethnicity in the replies, you do not know what my beliefs are, what country I currently live in and etc.
@@EladOSRS Keep in mind 1) they could be someone who's just Russian descent but live outside of Russia, 2) the Russian people are themselves held hostage in the system of Kleptocracy described in this video. Putin is himself a Kleptocrat, hence why he wants to steal land/resources from countries neighboring Russia (not just Ukraine, but Georgia, Belarus, etc.). It's thievery taken to a geopolitical level.
Great stuff, Simon. Do one on the triads of Hong Kong. What once was a revolutionary group formed to overthrow the Manchus, eventually became a criminal organisation
Jamie Rincon Junior, Darina P Fort Lauderdale Florida, Shane Emilio Skillings Bronx New York Georgia and Florida CIA human traffickers also involved in navy/ space force black budget testing of microwave and sonic weapons on the American public torturing and killing whoever they want raping drugging and tracking victims if they survive it is a game they play on your wives your daughters your children whoever they want the police are involved the judges freemasons 5G grid secondary satellite grid the space array, arrays on the hospitals hospitals traffic children and women and experiment and drug them- (northrup grumman, mcdowell computing) this is your New World order no one will survive because the strongest aretaken first and experimented on to perfect This weapon system/- and then when every legal system fails the victims that is your third system of the grid be positive look the other way no one will help you this is the New World order if you do not get up and dosomething today you are all going to experience this in your every day life… Jfk north west palm beach fl, st marys palm beach are trafficking network- nurses involved rented in port st lucie fl (2054 se hillmoore dr #116 pt st lucie fl) Katherine&Matthew Flynn alias last name diff ft lauderdale fl coverups
I've been reading and watching everything I could get my hands on about the vor for 20+ years and this is the best summary of history and culture I've ever seen.
Well- almost everyone heard about Yakuza or the Italian mob, but THIS was genuinely new to me and, as always, a near perfect written and delivered piece! 👍
Lol, my brother met some of those guys in Detroit. He was winning a lot at a casino and the guys with Russian accents asked if he wanted to play for higher stakes. He took them for about 7k and was only allowed to leave as long as he came back. Yeah he never went back and moved far away 🤦🏻♂️
An old boss of mine an Irish fellow would keep a box full of cash on his desk, it was meant for the IRA, two large and scary looking men would come in the restaurant to pick up the cash and leave. I asked my boss how much was in the box and he said about a hundred grand. I was tempted to take the money and run but they would have killed my father and then me if I came back.
I would love to see more videos on different criminal organizations around the world Here in South Africa the main and most powerful criminal organization are the taxi unions who constantly fight for control of lucrative transport routes often leading to bloody battles
@@kraanz You don't get it these people have almost full control of the economy If you piss one of them they can just order their drivers to down their taxis leaving many people who rely on them to get to work and other places stranded and cause chaos like in Cape Town earlier this year
It's fair to say at this point that Prigozhin came out second-best in everything with Putin. Assuming he hasn't pulled a Houdini on absolutely everyone, which I kind of doubt.
Would love to see more series on this channel so you could watch a playlist ordered chronologically of a different subjects and get more into subjects like criminal enterprises, conspiracy theories, different wars
Yeah. Pity. I was really hoping that Progozhin would come out on top of his little spat with Putin. But if the Russian Mob was after him too, he was doomed.
Teacher: hello Me: bored(head down) Teacher talks on sub (voice like him) Got my MD..HIS ACCENT within my(his) interest got me thru...KEEP ON ROLLING MY GUY 😎🤟🤟
he already did the japanese yakuza about 2 months ago its called The Yakuza: Ethical Gangsters or Mob Rule. consider simon has said things can take a while to record and come out there is a chance they were recorded at a similar time.
I hereby propose a new Whistleverse channel: Crimeographics. This channel will delve into and explore organized crime throughout the world. Well known gangs and obscure gangs. Street gangs and mainstream gangs. Gangs from around the world, from every continent.
Absolutely would love to see a video on the Chinese triads. Also it would be interesting to research the connections of these mafias have with each other across the world and how they influence our world.
Growing up in the USSR I was pretty exposed to this life. I knew thieves-in-laws, some from my neighborhood. I didn’t know them by name. I knew them personally. Some would think hearing all the stories that these were some real thugs but if you spent an hour with them, you’d think they were professors at the Moscows Lomonosov University. The idea and the name sounds very intimidating and dark, but in reality these were very well read, well dressed, mostly soft spoken people that would play chess with you and discuss life. Only the value system in the bratva had a very high moral code. A kind of life and moral 95% westerners could never live under or with. Most known thief-in-laws, in the USSR vor v zakone, were Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Russians of course and some Jews. Almost all of them knew each other in the entire USSR. Most of the time they were better judges than the real judges so the regular people mostly left the affairs between themselves and to the thieves to decide. The whole thing really started with Stalin. He needed them and he himself lived with the code. Stalin was something else. The first thieve in law in the USSR was an Armenian name Kamo from Tbilisi in Georgia which really was a very Armenian populated city which is where my grandfather was from. Kamo was killed in a car accident. Some say Stalin was present in his Coronation. It was an interesting country and a system. We lived with high moral codes and discipline. To be honest, I miss it a lot. I’ve lived in the US now for decades. This is not freedom. This is a strange place with no codes, no loyalty, no honor. People shock me every day with their behavior and I will never get used to it. I guess you will take a man out of a USSR but you will never take USSR out of a man.
Genuine curiosity here as apart from the Bolsheviks and Stalin, i didnt learn much about the USSR or countries that it was made up of at school (didnt even learn much about them during ww2 history), was it as difficult living there in terms of everyday life and lack of food - its always taught that there were famines and times when people in the USSR didnt get much food and that it was hard to come by.
@@heyysimoneafter ww2 ended food situation gradually improved but before that were massive famines caused by rampant industrialization and agricultural mismanagement
@@Warman88888888 this statement makes you part of the 80% of the ignorant American society. I don’t need to know anything else about you to know where you stand. Russia and USSR are as different as USA and USSR. The problem is that you’ve been so terrified of the USSR that until now you can’t accept that that country is gone and whatever takes its geographical place to you looks the same. I’ll explain to you in simple American logic so it’s a little more clear to you. Let’s say Sears closes it’s store and leaves because it was bankrupt and Walmart takes over the building and opens a new store. Are you going to keep going there lookin for a washer dryer as if it’s still Sears? Most likely not. Than why is Russia Soviet Union to you all? Are you this ignorant or what is it? Yes I wish I never made the mistake of relocating to this “free country”. Not because of the country but because of racists and haters like you. It’s just that when you vouch for your country to go ruin other people’s homes, expect those people to come over because that’s what this country tells those people to do.
@@heyysimone sorry I didn’t see your reply until now. It wasn’t difficult living there at all. In fact it is more difficult to live in the US. Remember that in the USSR there was no such thing as rent or home mortgage payments. Everyone owned their home and you were guaranteed employment by the gov. They tried to create equality but of course that never works. The only time food became an issue was starting 1988 when USA started its black ops in the USSR to bring it to collapse. This is when wars broke out between nations and republics and food became a problem. Prior to that there was no place like it really. I’ll debate anyone that claims USSR was a bad country and peoples lives were bad. Ill prove that the peace of mind of every USSR citizen was priceless and the moral compass of every citizen was on its highest level. Adulthood in the system had some flaws but I’m very grateful I grew up in the USSR because for kids it was the best place to grow up. Keep in mind I’m not a communist at all. Far from it. I just see the reality being someone that spent half my life there and the other half here in the USA. I now see clearly how much they lied to Americans out the USSR back then and Russia now. They need them to be enemies so that are. I don’t remember even once in my life in the USSR for anyone to speak bad about the Americans or America when for the gov of USSR America was an enemy. I see who is the author of all this turmoil and who injects the poison.
Go and find the award winning Italian series called Gomorrah ? With proper Italian actors ? Based on truth about four seasons of the series in Naples ? Brilliant
Although they don't exist any longer and are little known by most people, I'd love to see a segment on the Ringvereine ("ring clubs") aka the German mafia.
Holy cow! The explanation of "vor" at the beginning gives a whole new twist to Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga and their "honorary" Vor-prefix!! I guess Miles got it honestly after all. 😂
Well, you can tick one of those aforementioned Russian thugs off of your list-Prighozin didn't grow a brain or, at the very least, wings in time to live long enough in order to see himself ascend that mafioso ladder any further. Once that man decided to make his move towards displacing Putin, he should've never ever flinched, let alone backed off, but followed it all the way through to the end, no matter what-succeed or die-by that point, those were really the only two possible outcomes. Putin doesn't seem to be the forgiving, let bygones be bygones, type of guy! Weirdly enough, even I would've guessed all of that, and I have absolutely no strategic or militaristic experience, nor have I ever even met Putin. So, that leads me to the question: did Prigozhin just have a death wish then, or had he just become so sick of being under Putin's heel that he completely lost all sense of reason there for a moment? I guess, either way, it doesn't matter now-it cost him his life, though, as any reasonably intelligent person should've guessed! 🤯😬😨
That's why so many believed that he simply faked his own death, in the early days after. If Putin were to just look at my comment and give some one a nod, I'd try to hide from him. 😁
@@hattorihanzo562 I remember hearing somewhere (if I can find it I'll link it here) that the reason he back off was because he couldn't get the support of the powerful familes. Still he made the worst possible choice in backing off though, cause at that ponit he was a dead man walking.
Why, oh why there wasn't a pronounciation guide for the word "bratva"? The stress is on the last vowel, it's "brat-vá". Otherwise Simon does it right. The literal meaning of the word is "brotherhood", but it's actually "a gang".
I knew a tiny bit of this playing the shadowrun ttrpg, having worked for the vory v zakone organization. Looking forward to seeing episodes on the tong and the seoulpa rings.
Dear editors: for the love of god please stop including sound effects for every single new bit of archival footage and new fact, it drives people up the wall. There’s no need for constant “swoosh effects” or random ringing noises. It doesn’t help maintain audience screen time retention.
I saw this in my recommend, lost it, then searched "Geographics Russian Mafia" and found yet another channel I didn't know you had. Lol I'm sure I'll find more still 👍
I liked the content in the video (all these channels that Simon is affiliated with, always have top tier writing and production). My only complaint is the flickering transition effect used throughout the video. Not that transitions aren't needed (there's other effects used throughout the video), but the orange flickering transition stood out as problematic for me (of course I could have another tab open while listening to the video, but ideally, videos are meant to be watched lol).
O American Alexander Dolgun, imprisoned in the Gulag, became friendly with the Thieves and later recorded their recognition test for new Thieves entering the camp. Years later, former Spetsnaz officer and defector Viktor Suvorov recorded the equivalent test for Spetsnaz to recognise each other. It was the same test.
I'm just sitting at home, sowing, or rather, mending some stuff. And SUDDENLY Simon with his story about Russian underworld. I'm Russian. For some reason it's always hilarious to learn how an Other sees your surroundings. I'm yet to hear the story. I have zero idea about the real inside of that criminal culture, I'm from, I guess, intelligencia family, engineers and such, but somehow I always find misunderstandings in tellings about what Russia is and isn't, even if it's something so distant from me as anything criminal.
A lot of romantic folk lore from the bloody 90's. Most Russians want nothing to do with that history or hear about it being retold. It isn't any high mark. Its a huge stain unpleasant memories. Its like reminding Germans how powerful Hitler was.
Vor these days is basically like a made man in mafia but somewhat more prestigious (capo level) due to much lower number of members. Previously they were more of spiritual leaders of prison lifestyle, people of superhuman will , courage and resistance against great risks and sufferings. Able to dominate like nobody else to get respect, strictly within their code. There were legendary super influential Vors who were pickpockets their whole life, not trying to gain money. Today it’s more about business.
It was always about business, don’t make it romantic. These people are criminals. One interesting things at the old style thieves prohibited the taking of life in their criminal activities. Or at the very least, they didn’t kill non-thieves. They took pride in their ability to steal without needing to use brutality or shed blood. And this also had the effect of making their activities, much more discreet, and their punishments lighter. To this day in prisons, there is still a divide between the thieves and the killers, Vor and Uboinik.
I remember reading "Pax Mafia" (one of the greatest books on the subject) about how when the Wall came down, The Italian Mafia have the word to get over to the post USSR ASAP and "make contacts, do business". The "Western" Mafias pretty much signing off and shaking hands on business deals while Wall Street was just starting to untangle the shit show that was Soviet Economics...
Here in NYC the Bratva grabbed hold of the seedier side of the *Five Families* business when everything was shaken up in the 90s/2000s. Their elite *Thieves in Law* have their *KavKaz* which are much like the thugs that took over the Russian slums and are a bit ouf of control right now. *The Odessa* (Ukrainian breakaways after the Chechnian annexation) are actually fueling the fire by giving them exit routes to stay out of the Theives reach. While they allied themselves by 2010 with the *Costa Nostra, other Eastern European mobs, Triads, and Mafiyah Yisrelit* as the war against Ukraine continues they are finding themselves being pushed out. The Odessa and Triads siezed the stand alone ATM business that the Russians controlled since 2001 while the Italians looked the other way. Their leaders are being pushed into the spotlight with very public criminal charges and that's by design. I'm rambling, but it's a topic worth investigating as you do more crime syndicate episodes.
It's no coincidence that George Santos's campaign, funded by a sanctioned Russian oligarch, was for a district in New York, was it.....the state gov. probably needs to take a look at the underbelly of that district.
That gets really dark really quick. Some of the Cartels have gone beyond criminal enterprise behind and become death cults, worshiping "Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte" (Our Lady of Holy Death) a skeletal death goddess. Some of the stories I've heard make creepypastas sound like nursery rhymes.
I work with Russian guy in his 50s who's really cool. We made up this whole backstory about him secretly being a Russian mobster who's skimming profits on the down low
There’s a short book called ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ that documents a day in the life of one of these Soviet labour camp workers, it’s only short but it’s so detailed about the day to day stuff like food, clothing and work etc I’m making it sound so boring but it’s good.
Fascinating! Thank you Simon and Team, this seems like a well researched piece, and a little alarming... If I were at the top of the Russian Political/Power sphere, I'd be pretty worried about the Bratva, since russia is indeed becoming a Paraiah state at warp speed. I imagine that losing various friends and allies, losing opportunities as they will if the world Powers and smaller nations turn against Russia would displease them deeply... What if they choose to halt this head-first dive into becoming blackballed on the World's economic stage? Is that even a worry Putin and his cronies have, or are they blinded with hubris, assuming they are too valuable still for a Purge ala Stalin's Ascension? Yes, I would also love to hear more about the various criminal groups around the world. I am certain even smaller but corrupt countries have fascinating groups working as they will, ignroed and even feared by their governing bodies.
Quit worrying about Putin and Russia which is doing very well now ! Because they have a great leader in Putin a real Statesman ? The West has forever criticised Russia ((( Russia Phobia ))) Russia is doing well economically and is far more ahead of the West ! And the Warmongering West have their eyes on Russia's precious resources ! They always have been ! And it's why these evil Globalists want him dead Britain now is very , very near to the old Soviet Union ? Isn't life strange ? I will repeat ! We in the West , but especially the UK are now the old Soviet Union , hilarious ? And Putin's laughing at them now ! But then ? the West , NATO ((( America ))) did provoke Putin , But MR Putin was more than ready ? Good on the Man x
Be realistic, getting glared at a little bit by 14 of the 208 countries in the world isn’t blackballed off the economic stage, nor is it becoming a pariah state. All this is done, has accelerated Russian in sourcing and re-development of domestic capabilities, and accelerated the Asian tilt and the development of BRICS. The grand irony is there actually was the western leaning Russia right up until they got wise to Western mistreatment. Over a decade of westernization and western friendly policies led to many years of continuous, sharp, decline terrorism, and Civil War. All of this, without ripping any benefit, nor being allowed into the western clubs of NATO and the EU. So Russia decided it had enough of being tricked and set off for itself. All the West had to do was play fair with Russia, and let them into the club.
@@Mortablunt Fair? No. We (the "horrible west") even tried diplomacy the FIRST time Russian scum declared war and TOOK Crimea... and what did that do? More war... More murder... More mayhem... Attacking civilians. You don't want "fair". You want the world GIVEN to you for being Russian. Fair would be to turn ALL of Russia into a smoldering hole in the ground that glows after darkfall... for a few centuries. THAT would be fair. You don't use diplomacy or reason with a mad-dog. ONLY a bullet solves that problem. ;o)
bruh there's not a single true word in this yankee shit stalin camp criminals were not organized but respected each other bratva has appeared as a challenger to the old world in the 90 and there was zero organization they were shooting each other. all the survivors joined putin in the party this is the most retarded fanfic i saw in years. bratva is exactly related to 90s and nothing else. and none of the words the writer tries to teach you are proper nouns
@@baneofbanes first of all anyone who speaks yankee language is yankee second simon isn't even simon in this video but a robot for hire. the writers do the writing if you want to see real simon watch business blaze
@@tsartomato English has existed long before America did. You sound like an idiot by calling it the “Yankee language”. And no Simon isn’t a robot, nor is he a Yankee. Words have meanings.
Currently reading the "Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia Volume I" Based on Danzig Baldaev's and others work, and it's incredible, a really interesting read for anyone who would like to better understand the Vor society, it's evolution through the decades it operated (operates?) and origins, it's affects and ultimately individual outcomes of the ones documented and photographed in the encyclopedia.
The Bolsheviks, including Yughashvili alias Stalin, were indeed thieves, and still are. On the topic of ''vor'', or ''thieves in law'', I can highly recommend ''Kolyma Tales'' by Varlam Shalamov and ''Red Mafyia'' by Friedman.
I live next to weybridge in Surrey and speaking to a guy in the met the other day in a general conversation most of the Russian oligarchs live within a few miles of me. Weybridge/Woben Hill and Virginia Water is somewhere they all settle. Probably it’s close proximity to London.
Vor is a regular supermarket thief, what you mean under serious business Vor is “vor v zakone” (thief-in-law). Bratva are thugs, and what you mean is called “krysha”
Yes, do ALL the different criminal organizations, you could make it a mini-series 👍
I second this
could make it a channel lol
I thirdly argree with this
I third, fourth, and drink a fifth to this!!
I'd love a Coza Nostra or Mafia from Simon he's so endlessly entertaining
As a Russian myself, this was very interesting! As a child, I was told a lot by older kids about the thieves and criminals of my homeland, the 90s and all. Thanks a lot, would love to hear more about different criminal organisations around the world!
Edit: There is no need to hate me for my ethnicity in the replies, you do not know what my beliefs are, what country I currently live in and etc.
Even the Canadians have a mafia alive and well today. The Quebecers have some too. Funny thing the Maple Syrup mafia is also a real thing.
he did one about the Yakuza awhile back.
@@EladOSRS Keep in mind 1) they could be someone who's just Russian descent but live outside of Russia, 2) the Russian people are themselves held hostage in the system of Kleptocracy described in this video. Putin is himself a Kleptocrat, hence why he wants to steal land/resources from countries neighboring Russia (not just Ukraine, but Georgia, Belarus, etc.). It's thievery taken to a geopolitical level.
@@EladOSRSbruh, why you hating on a random person 💀
@@ProPatriaEstonia 😅 the same could be said about Americans, Europeans, everybody in the world, literally. You just hate Russians
Albanian mafia would be interesting, from the underdogs after the Yugoslav Wars to one of the most prolific OCGs on the planet even by 2001
I would love to see an Albanian mafia episode.
Albanians run the coke trade in Europe
There is no real stories online about the real Albanian mafia just a group or individual, the real deal has NOTHING around on them.
Nothing on Russians … Albanians are like little children compared ethnic russian mafia & Chechen mafia
😂
I would love a whole mini-series on the various organized crime groups of the world, and how they each operate differently
There are countless shows/documentaries that already cover all of this.
Great stuff, Simon. Do one on the triads of Hong Kong. What once was a revolutionary group formed to overthrow the Manchus, eventually became a criminal organisation
I've been waiting for that one
Pretty much like guerillas in Columbia / south america in general. :D
Jamie Rincon Junior, Darina P Fort
Lauderdale Florida, Shane Emilio Skillings
Bronx New York Georgia and Florida CIA
human traffickers also involved in navy/
space force black budget testing of
microwave and sonic weapons on the
American public torturing and killing
whoever they want raping drugging and
tracking victims if they survive it is a game
they play on your wives your daughters your children whoever they want the police are involved the judges freemasons 5G grid secondary satellite grid the space array, arrays on the hospitals hospitals traffic children and women and experiment and drug them- (northrup grumman, mcdowell computing) this is your New World order no one will survive because the strongest aretaken first and experimented on to perfect
This weapon system/- and then when every legal system fails the victims that is your third system of the grid be positive look the other way no one will help you this is the New World order if you do not get up and dosomething today you are all going to
experience this in your every day life…
Jfk north west palm beach fl, st marys palm beach are trafficking network- nurses involved rented in port st lucie fl (2054 se hillmoore dr #116 pt st lucie fl)
Katherine&Matthew Flynn alias last name diff ft lauderdale fl coverups
It's funny how them Albinos was putting themselves in shipping containers to get over America to see me
@@insertgenericnamehere7774 nope. Guerilla were brutal, triads are more like wannabe gangsters
Awesome! This would make an amazing series covering international organized crime.
*The Russian Mafia* : *_Private Protection in a New Market Economy_* by *Federico Varese* is an excellent book on the subject 😎👌
Absolutely would love a series about international crime syndicates.
Also one covering the Djorde Martinović incident
I've been reading and watching everything I could get my hands on about the vor for 20+ years and this is the best summary of history and culture I've ever seen.
Watch Word of the Guy: Blood on the Asphalt
@natashka1982 doesn't seem to be available anywhere I can find it. But thanks for the recommendation anyway. I'll keep my eye open.
Well- almost everyone heard about Yakuza or the Italian mob, but THIS was genuinely new to me and, as always, a near perfect written and delivered piece! 👍
Not an accident
@@Masterfailure-b7i what do you mean?
Pretty much everyone is aware of a Russian Mafia , stop gassing!
Lol, my brother met some of those guys in Detroit. He was winning a lot at a casino and the guys with Russian accents asked if he wanted to play for higher stakes. He took them for about 7k and was only allowed to leave as long as he came back. Yeah he never went back and moved far away 🤦🏻♂️
And then the credits scene came up.
Hey it’s Bert’s cousin!
An old boss of mine an Irish fellow would keep a box full of cash on his desk, it was meant for the IRA, two large and scary looking men would come in the restaurant to pick up the cash and leave. I asked my boss how much was in the box and he said about a hundred grand. I was tempted to take the money and run but they would have killed my father and then me if I came back.
I would love to see more videos on different criminal organizations around the world
Here in South Africa the main and most powerful criminal organization are the taxi unions who constantly fight for control of lucrative transport routes often leading to bloody battles
Like the Gcaba Brothers
Doesn’t South Africa have a mafia to
Pretty sure SA has bigger problems than a few rowdy taxi drivers.
@@kraanz You don't get it these people have almost full control of the economy
If you piss one of them they can just order their drivers to down their taxis leaving many people who rely on them to get to work and other places stranded and cause chaos like in Cape Town earlier this year
It's fair to say at this point that Prigozhin came out second-best in everything with Putin. Assuming he hasn't pulled a Houdini on absolutely everyone, which I kind of doubt.
Would love to see more series on this channel so you could watch a playlist ordered chronologically of a different subjects and get more into subjects like criminal enterprises, conspiracy theories, different wars
Thieves love is eternal. Be honorable.
You can tell this was recorded before Wagner leader was killed.
Yeah. Pity. I was really hoping that Progozhin would come out on top of his little spat with Putin. But if the Russian Mob was after him too, he was doomed.
Yevgeny Prigozhin
But the thieves sent out a kite that arrestants going to Ukraine aren’t going according to “thieve’s code”
0:13 - Noice quote *To walk with purpose is to survive & perhaps even to thrive*
Simon is the undisputed king of TH-cam
GOD SAVE THE KING
He reads well that which he doesn't know anything about
All of your channels should be podcasts as well. I love all your content
Hi Simon! Love your delivery, mate.
Yes, we would love more on this. Especially the lesser-known ones, like the Kkangpae.
Teacher: hello
Me: bored(head down)
Teacher talks on sub
(voice like him)
Got my MD..HIS ACCENT within my(his) interest got me thru...KEEP ON ROLLING MY GUY 😎🤟🤟
I would be very interested in articles about Japanese and especially Chinese organised crime
Than go to everyone who has already made some 🤦🏽🤦🏽🤦🏽
@@manolososadavinci1937?? So people aren’t allowed to make suggestions? Okay
My man James is of the Asian persuasion
he already did the japanese yakuza about 2 months ago its called The Yakuza: Ethical Gangsters or Mob Rule. consider simon has said things can take a while to record and come out there is a chance they were recorded at a similar time.
If I recall correctly he does have one on the Yakuza on this channel, but I know not yet one on the Triads.
Im a Russian myself, and your story is 100% accurate. Thank you, you're doing very good work.
I like how you're creating channels with different formats.
You should be narrating A& E along side of Bill Curtis. You have that rare gift of keeper you watching & sounding so smart & professional. Awesome job
I hereby propose a new Whistleverse channel: Crimeographics. This channel will delve into and explore organized crime throughout the world. Well known gangs and obscure gangs. Street gangs and mainstream gangs. Gangs from around the world, from every continent.
Yes!!!
A series of these would be outstanding🍻
Well, it was nice to know you Simon.
Dont take it personally if we dont stand beside you for a couple weeks.
Absolutely would love to see a video on the Chinese triads. Also it would be interesting to research the connections of these mafias have with each other across the world and how they influence our world.
Growing up in the USSR I was pretty exposed to this life. I knew thieves-in-laws, some from my neighborhood. I didn’t know them by name. I knew them personally. Some would think hearing all the stories that these were some real thugs but if you spent an hour with them, you’d think they were professors at the Moscows Lomonosov University. The idea and the name sounds very intimidating and dark, but in reality these were very well read, well dressed, mostly soft spoken people that would play chess with you and discuss life.
Only the value system in the bratva had a very high moral code. A kind of life and moral 95% westerners could never live under or with. Most known thief-in-laws, in the USSR vor v zakone, were Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Russians of course and some Jews.
Almost all of them knew each other in the entire USSR. Most of the time they were better judges than the real judges so the regular people mostly left the affairs between themselves and to the thieves to decide. The whole thing really started with Stalin. He needed them and he himself lived with the code. Stalin was something else. The first thieve in law in the USSR was an Armenian name Kamo from Tbilisi in Georgia which really was a very Armenian populated city which is where my grandfather was from. Kamo was killed in a car accident. Some say Stalin was present in his Coronation. It was an interesting country and a system. We lived with high moral codes and discipline. To be honest, I miss it a lot. I’ve lived in the US now for decades. This is not freedom. This is a strange place with no codes, no loyalty, no honor. People shock me every day with their behavior and I will never get used to it. I guess you will take a man out of a USSR but you will never take USSR out of a man.
Genuine curiosity here as apart from the Bolsheviks and Stalin, i didnt learn much about the USSR or countries that it was made up of at school (didnt even learn much about them during ww2 history), was it as difficult living there in terms of everyday life and lack of food - its always taught that there were famines and times when people in the USSR didnt get much food and that it was hard to come by.
@@heyysimoneafter ww2 ended food situation gradually improved but before that were massive famines caused by rampant industrialization and agricultural mismanagement
Feel free to move back to Russia then.
@@Warman88888888 this statement makes you part of the 80% of the ignorant American society. I don’t need to know anything else about you to know where you stand. Russia and USSR are as different as USA and USSR. The problem is that you’ve been so terrified of the USSR that until now you can’t accept that that country is gone and whatever takes its geographical place to you looks the same.
I’ll explain to you in simple American logic so it’s a little more clear to you. Let’s say Sears closes it’s store and leaves because it was bankrupt and Walmart takes over the building and opens a new store. Are you going to keep going there lookin for a washer dryer as if it’s still Sears? Most likely not. Than why is Russia Soviet Union to you all? Are you this ignorant or what is it?
Yes I wish I never made the mistake of relocating to this “free country”. Not because of the country but because of racists and haters like you. It’s just that when you vouch for your country to go ruin other people’s homes, expect those people to come over because that’s what this country tells those people to do.
@@heyysimone sorry I didn’t see your reply until now. It wasn’t difficult living there at all. In fact it is more difficult to live in the US. Remember that in the USSR there was no such thing as rent or home mortgage payments. Everyone owned their home and you were guaranteed employment by the gov. They tried to create equality but of course that never works. The only time food became an issue was starting 1988 when USA started its black ops in the USSR to bring it to collapse. This is when wars broke out between nations and republics and food became a problem. Prior to that there was no place like it really. I’ll debate anyone that claims USSR was a bad country and peoples lives were bad. Ill prove that the peace of mind of every USSR citizen was priceless and the moral compass of every citizen was on its highest level. Adulthood in the system had some flaws but I’m very grateful I grew up in the USSR because for kids it was the best place to grow up. Keep in mind I’m not a communist at all. Far from it. I just see the reality being someone that spent half my life there and the other half here in the USA. I now see clearly how much they lied to Americans out the USSR back then and Russia now. They need them to be enemies so that are. I don’t remember even once in my life in the USSR for anyone to speak bad about the Americans or America when for the gov of USSR America was an enemy. I see who is the author of all this turmoil and who injects the poison.
I love all you’re channels bro keep the history coming and yes a videos on all the criminal organizations would be great
A video about the Italian mafias would be appreciated, Simon
Go and find the award winning Italian series called Gomorrah ? With proper Italian actors ? Based on truth about four seasons of the series in Naples ? Brilliant
th-cam.com/video/LZ3Aa1sMZZc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Gx4GwAoLhq1hU0yc
@@WendyJones-zx7is Are you doubting your own statements?
Well thanks for you final video send off Mr. Whistler!
Best time for a drop!!
this channel kicks ass. the binge is good with this one
Although they don't exist any longer and are little known by most people, I'd love to see a segment on the Ringvereine ("ring clubs") aka the German mafia.
I had only known about the Russian Mafia from movies. It's history is a very good thing you've researched for us.
Dude has so many channels and at least 5 have 1+ million subs. Great work good sir🎩
Holy cow! The explanation of "vor" at the beginning gives a whole new twist to Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga and their "honorary" Vor-prefix!! I guess Miles got it honestly after all. 😂
You should check out the Mafia cemeteries in Russia, particularly in Yekerinburg.
only an idiot would travel to russia right now. they are impressing foreigners into the army.
I would also like to see videos on all the criminal organisations, in perhaps a mini series format
Well, you can tick one of those aforementioned Russian thugs off of your list-Prighozin didn't grow a brain or, at the very least, wings in time to live long enough in order to see himself ascend that mafioso ladder any further.
Once that man decided to make his move towards displacing Putin, he should've never ever flinched, let alone backed off, but followed it all the way through to the end, no matter what-succeed or die-by that point, those were really the only two possible outcomes. Putin doesn't seem to be the forgiving, let bygones be bygones, type of guy! Weirdly enough, even I would've guessed all of that, and I have absolutely no strategic or militaristic experience, nor have I ever even met Putin.
So, that leads me to the question: did Prigozhin just have a death wish then, or had he just become so sick of being under Putin's heel that he completely lost all sense of reason there for a moment? I guess, either way, it doesn't matter now-it cost him his life, though, as any reasonably intelligent person should've guessed! 🤯😬😨
That's why so many believed that he simply faked his own death, in the early days after.
If Putin were to just look at my comment and give some one a nod, I'd try to hide from him. 😁
His beef wasnt with putin but shoigu defense minister, he miscalculated and thought he could get him removed.
@@hattorihanzo562 I remember hearing somewhere (if I can find it I'll link it here) that the reason he back off was because he couldn't get the support of the powerful familes. Still he made the worst possible choice in backing off though, cause at that ponit he was a dead man walking.
BRILLIANT ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT VIDEO
Yes, I would like videos on the other organized crime syndicates around the world. Very interesting
Intense and captivating stuff Simon
You're a brave man Simon.
I love these, looking at both the historical side of things with a look at how they operate
bratva doesnt mean mob, means Brotherhood
You're right,spas sevba bruht.🇬🇧
Fantastic video. I really appreciate what you are doing.
it's bullshit video with not a single real word
Why, oh why there wasn't a pronounciation guide for the word "bratva"? The stress is on the last vowel, it's "brat-vá". Otherwise Simon does it right.
The literal meaning of the word is "brotherhood", but it's actually "a gang".
Really great video. Thanks, Simon.
I'd love a series on all the different international mob groups!
There isn't publicly available information on all of them.
I knew a tiny bit of this playing the shadowrun ttrpg, having worked for the vory v zakone organization. Looking forward to seeing episodes on the tong and the seoulpa rings.
Dear editors: for the love of god please stop including sound effects for every single new bit of archival footage and new fact, it drives people up the wall. There’s no need for constant “swoosh effects” or random ringing noises. It doesn’t help maintain audience screen time retention.
The sounds might drive you up the wall. I never noticed themand didn’t lessen my screen time retention in the slightest
Yeah IDC I'm cool w it it's just umph@@neilstewart9799
😅
Misophonia
Wah
I saw this in my recommend, lost it, then searched "Geographics Russian Mafia" and found yet another channel I didn't know you had. Lol I'm sure I'll find more still 👍
I liked the content in the video (all these channels that Simon is affiliated with, always have top tier writing and production). My only complaint is the flickering transition effect used throughout the video. Not that transitions aren't needed (there's other effects used throughout the video), but the orange flickering transition stood out as problematic for me (of course I could have another tab open while listening to the video, but ideally, videos are meant to be watched lol).
O
American Alexander Dolgun, imprisoned in the Gulag, became friendly with the Thieves and later recorded their recognition test for new Thieves entering the camp. Years later, former Spetsnaz officer and defector Viktor Suvorov recorded the equivalent test for Spetsnaz to recognise each other. It was the same test.
Do the Vatican Mafia next
Ave Maria
What an amazing and informative video.. Great job Mr Whistler, concise and thoughtful work.
I'm just sitting at home, sowing, or rather, mending some stuff. And SUDDENLY Simon with his story about Russian underworld. I'm Russian. For some reason it's always hilarious to learn how an Other sees your surroundings.
I'm yet to hear the story. I have zero idea about the real inside of that criminal culture, I'm from, I guess, intelligencia family, engineers and such, but somehow I always find misunderstandings in tellings about what Russia is and isn't, even if it's something so distant from me as anything criminal.
A lot of romantic folk lore from the bloody 90's. Most Russians want nothing to do with that history or hear about it being retold. It isn't any high mark. Its a huge stain unpleasant memories. Its like reminding Germans how powerful Hitler was.
I propose that the next in this mini-series of sorts be the Chinese Triads, the Camorra (Neapolitan mafia), or the Unione Corse (Corsican mafia).
Vor these days is basically like a made man in mafia but somewhat more prestigious (capo level) due to much lower number of members. Previously they were more of spiritual leaders of prison lifestyle, people of superhuman will , courage and resistance against great risks and sufferings. Able to dominate like nobody else to get respect, strictly within their code. There were legendary super influential Vors who were pickpockets their whole life, not trying to gain money. Today it’s more about business.
wor theese days is the member of the governent
also it's not a proper noun it's just non without some sacred religious meaning.
It was always about business, don’t make it romantic. These people are criminals.
One interesting things at the old style thieves prohibited the taking of life in their criminal activities. Or at the very least, they didn’t kill non-thieves. They took pride in their ability to steal without needing to use brutality or shed blood. And this also had the effect of making their activities, much more discreet, and their punishments lighter.
To this day in prisons, there is still a divide between the thieves and the killers, Vor and Uboinik.
A pickpocket is a thief! You said not trying to gain money. Why do people pickpocket? To get money!
@@maggiemae7539 get money for living not luxury and power
I remember reading "Pax Mafia" (one of the greatest books on the subject) about how when the Wall came down, The Italian Mafia have the word to get over to the post USSR ASAP and "make contacts, do business".
The "Western" Mafias pretty much signing off and shaking hands on business deals while Wall Street was just starting to untangle the shit show that was Soviet Economics...
Check your smokables for polonium going forward Simon
Quite the detailed history. I might have to watch this again :)
I hope Simon steers clear of high rise balaconies and glowing cups of tea after this video.😊
Please do a full series that would be awesome. I’d love to see one on the yakuza.
I'll second that. They're also interesting, japan cant get rid of them because they're so ingrained with people and money in everything.
Here in NYC the Bratva grabbed hold of the seedier side of the *Five Families* business when everything was shaken up in the 90s/2000s. Their elite *Thieves in Law* have their *KavKaz* which are much like the thugs that took over the Russian slums and are a bit ouf of control right now. *The Odessa* (Ukrainian breakaways after the Chechnian annexation) are actually fueling the fire by giving them exit routes to stay out of the Theives reach. While they allied themselves by 2010 with the *Costa Nostra, other Eastern European mobs, Triads, and Mafiyah Yisrelit* as the war against Ukraine continues they are finding themselves being pushed out. The Odessa and Triads siezed the stand alone ATM business that the Russians controlled since 2001 while the Italians looked the other way. Their leaders are being pushed into the spotlight with very public criminal charges and that's by design. I'm rambling, but it's a topic worth investigating as you do more crime syndicate episodes.
Oh that would be an awesome casual criminalist
It's no coincidence that George Santos's campaign, funded by a sanctioned Russian oligarch, was for a district in New York, was it.....the state gov. probably needs to take a look at the underbelly of that district.
Into the shadows ? No , into the world of organised crime
I'd love to see more videos in this series! Might I suggest a video on the cartels of Mexico?
That gets really dark really quick. Some of the Cartels have gone beyond criminal enterprise behind and become death cults, worshiping "Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte" (Our Lady of Holy Death) a skeletal death goddess. Some of the stories I've heard make creepypastas sound like nursery rhymes.
@@ostlandr So the lore from Ghost Recon Wildlands was true?
Good shit But that orange light thing was very uncomfortable
Simon going to randomly fall out of an apartment window after making this video. All I'm saying......
I don't think Simon has enough channels. TH-cam should be all Simon, all the time.
Russian prison tattoo culture is a fun rabbit hole to go down if youre bored
Love you see videos on all of these groups!
Bet the machine was among them
😂😂😂😂😂not most are gonna get this one.....btw indian here too
I work with Russian guy in his 50s who's really cool. We made up this whole backstory about him secretly being a Russian mobster who's skimming profits on the down low
Russia unfortunately has a criminal glorification culture… There’s even a whole genre of music (blat) that is all about being a prisoner or a vor.
My podoshli izza zavod
True, this genre is enormously popular among Russians driven by criminal romanthics
There’s a short book called ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ that documents a day in the life of one of these Soviet labour camp workers, it’s only short but it’s so detailed about the day to day stuff like food, clothing and work etc I’m making it sound so boring but it’s good.
Fascinating! Thank you Simon and Team, this seems like a well researched piece, and a little alarming... If I were at the top of the Russian Political/Power sphere, I'd be pretty worried about the Bratva, since russia is indeed becoming a Paraiah state at warp speed. I imagine that losing various friends and allies, losing opportunities as they will if the world Powers and smaller nations turn against Russia would displease them deeply... What if they choose to halt this head-first dive into becoming blackballed on the World's economic stage? Is that even a worry Putin and his cronies have, or are they blinded with hubris, assuming they are too valuable still for a Purge ala Stalin's Ascension?
Yes, I would also love to hear more about the various criminal groups around the world. I am certain even smaller but corrupt countries have fascinating groups working as they will, ignroed and even feared by their governing bodies.
Quit worrying about Putin and Russia which is doing very well now ! Because they have a great leader in Putin a real Statesman ? The West has forever criticised Russia ((( Russia Phobia ))) Russia is doing well economically and is far more ahead of the West ! And the Warmongering West have their eyes on Russia's precious resources ! They always have been ! And it's why these evil Globalists want him dead Britain now is very , very near to the old Soviet Union ? Isn't life strange ? I will repeat ! We in the West , but especially the UK are now the old Soviet Union , hilarious ? And Putin's laughing at them now ! But then ? the West , NATO ((( America ))) did provoke Putin , But MR Putin was more than ready ? Good on the Man x
Baldevi , Just to add There's many Countries backing Putin , please do not kid yourself here ? All Countries have their Mafia crooks
Be realistic, getting glared at a little bit by 14 of the 208 countries in the world isn’t blackballed off the economic stage, nor is it becoming a pariah state. All this is done, has accelerated Russian in sourcing and re-development of domestic capabilities, and accelerated the Asian tilt and the development of BRICS. The grand irony is there actually was the western leaning Russia right up until they got wise to Western mistreatment. Over a decade of westernization and western friendly policies led to many years of continuous, sharp, decline terrorism, and Civil War. All of this, without ripping any benefit, nor being allowed into the western clubs of NATO and the EU. So Russia decided it had enough of being tricked and set off for itself. All the West had to do was play fair with Russia, and let them into the club.
you don't have to worry about mafia, if you're mafia yourself. ruzzia is a literal thug state
@@Mortablunt Fair? No. We (the "horrible west") even tried diplomacy the FIRST time Russian scum declared war and TOOK Crimea... and what did that do? More war... More murder... More mayhem... Attacking civilians.
You don't want "fair". You want the world GIVEN to you for being Russian. Fair would be to turn ALL of Russia into a smoldering hole in the ground that glows after darkfall... for a few centuries. THAT would be fair.
You don't use diplomacy or reason with a mad-dog. ONLY a bullet solves that problem. ;o)
I hope your message will reach those who can keep taps. 😎
Do more on the Russian mob . Leaders, tattoos, in other countries.
bruh there's not a single true word in this yankee shit
stalin camp criminals were not organized but respected each other
bratva has appeared as a challenger to the old world in the 90 and there was zero organization they were shooting each other. all the survivors joined putin in the party
this is the most retarded fanfic i saw in years. bratva is exactly related to 90s and nothing else. and none of the words the writer tries to teach you are proper nouns
@@tsartomatolol Yankee? Simon ain’t American dude.
@@baneofbanes first of all anyone who speaks yankee language is yankee
second simon isn't even simon in this video but a robot for hire. the writers do the writing
if you want to see real simon watch business blaze
@@tsartomato English has existed long before America did. You sound like an idiot by calling it the “Yankee language”.
And no Simon isn’t a robot, nor is he a Yankee. Words have meanings.
@@tsartomato🙄🤡 Ridiculous! 🤦🏼♂️
This was superb, I will look forward to one on the Triads.
Simon Swearing in Russian
Priceless
Interesting story.
But, I found it hard to watch with the weird flashing yellowish transitions you used.
24:23 - funny you say that. As of writing, one is dead, the other is dying presumably terminally...
Kyrie, eleison
Currently reading the "Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia Volume I" Based on Danzig Baldaev's and others work, and it's incredible, a really interesting read for anyone who would like to better understand the Vor society, it's evolution through the decades it operated (operates?) and origins, it's affects and ultimately individual outcomes of the ones documented and photographed in the encyclopedia.
Being Russian seems like one of the more miserable fates that can befall a person.
Well said.
The fate of all Slavs
yes.
but this video is still complete made up bs, not a single word is correct
Gfy
My brother worked in Russia. In Siberia drilling for oil. Says Russia is beautiful.
The Bolsheviks, including Yughashvili alias Stalin, were indeed thieves, and still are. On the topic of ''vor'', or ''thieves in law'', I can highly recommend ''Kolyma Tales'' by Varlam Shalamov and ''Red Mafyia'' by Friedman.
you mean djugashvilli
2:43 did he just call them Russian peasant's......
😂😂😂😂
Where is he being wrong?
Could you do a documentary about the Crimes and the assassinations carried out by the C.I.A....????
Naaaa... didn't think so...!!!! 😮
😂😂😂 seek help FFS 🙄🤦🏼♂️
@@jessehachey2732 You... 🤣
@@panosgamithis8868 Ah, projection 🙄 Get a grip, a life, heck, a brain 🧠 and some critical thinking skills 🤦🏼♂️🤡
@@panosgamithis8868no u
Do a colomba sequel man! 🇨🇴🇨🇴🇨🇴🙏🙏🙏🙏
I live next to weybridge in Surrey and speaking to a guy in the met the other day in a general conversation most of the Russian oligarchs live within a few miles of me. Weybridge/Woben Hill and Virginia Water is somewhere they all settle. Probably it’s close proximity to London.
As long as you only say nice things, im sure you'll survive doing these 😅
I’d stick to the public known facts…scrupulously, LOL
Vor is a regular supermarket thief, what you mean under serious business Vor is “vor v zakone” (thief-in-law). Bratva are thugs, and what you mean is called “krysha”
It is not pronounced Woh or Woe. It is Vor (with hard 'r' like in 'roberry')
Wooh wooh wooh!
Eastern languages are hard to pronounce for anglophones.
@@siphotheguy1870 it's a sound da meeleetseeya
Outstanding! Thank you!!!
This video needs a warning for people with Epilepsy
Please do videos on all the criminal organizations