thats goated but I think Sergei was Ukrainian but he def came under the Soviet Union part of me probably wonders if the Greeks was Russian Mafia tho but Ziggy gets corrected by Sergei when Ziggy says Same thing right? " No your wrong" in I think Episode 1 or 2
There was interview with some Italian Mafioso where he was asked about Russians, he said: These are the most punctual people I have met. And indeed in Russia it's considered to be rude to be late or to not hold your word. So when they make threats you should know they're real, they're not just trying to scare you, they're bluntly telling you what is going to happen.
I heard an interview in the early 90's of a Major in the USA military who said similar. He said when the Russians say they are going to do something they do it.
Преступная среда та же деловая, она завязана на взаимоуважении. Только более строгая. Если вы позволяете себе лгать или хотя бы даже опаздывать, то вы банально не уважаете человека (или группу людей) - а это уже оскорбление, за которое можно поплатиться. От страны к стране может варьироваться степень серьезности того или иного проступка, но в целом везде одно и то же.
@@harryhaller7153 Согласен, но я цитировал одного из Итальянских мафиози из Америки, с его точки зрения Русская мафия самая пунктуальная. Это говорит о том, что преступная среда других стран уступает в ней.
A comment from a random Russian, which is missing here. As an ethnic Russian who has born and lived in Russia all his life, I will say this. I have mixed impressions of this video and here's why. On the one hand, I agree with many of the arguments of this expert, i.e. in general, he is telling the truth. On the other hand, he doesn't finish a significant piece of information, literally basic information. And that's the point. The fact is that the Russian mafia is an exclusively English-language term that literally summarizes the entire crime of Russia/the USSR, but the truth is that there is no single crime and it is divided into both national criminal groups (Chechens, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Ukrainians, Jews, Gypsies, etc.) and ideological groups. And here's the most interesting part. The so-called "Russian mafia" is divided into two ideological criminal groups that literally hate each other. The first is the "thieves' community" and the second is the "bandits". That's exactly what they were called in Russia. The "thieves' community" is based on the name of this group of thieves of various stripes, i.e. thieves: "wet" (killers), homes (burglars), beares (safecracker), the tweezer (pickpockets - an elite of thieves) etc. "The thieves' community" originated in the Russian Empire and its creation is attributed to Stalin, who was an anarchist terrorist in tsarist times. It was he who, just like the Italian mafia, came up with a whole "code of thieves" for thieves, they literally had their own strict hierarchy and principles, violation of which was punishable by death or descent to the level of a doormat. The main principle of thieves is complete contempt for the authorities, which means that they do not have the right to earn money in an honest way, i.e. to have a business; to work for the country or for people connected with the state; to cooperate with the state. Serve in the army. They are all thieves and their credo is to steal from the state. Since they are in 100% opposition to the government, they are forced to literally live in isolation from society. For self-identification, they developed a number of tattoos that spoke about them and their merits, and they were responsible for these tattoos with blood, i.e. if someone just tattooed a thief (as thieves' tattoos were called), they were forced to cut out their tattooed skin with a knife. So the thieves had their own language, it was called "fenya", so they could talk about their business in public, and no one but the thieves understood them. "The thieves had a community", to which each of them contributed his share. The most important thief, the "thief in law", kept the communal apartment. All thieves, like "thieves in law", were forbidden to live in luxury, otherwise they could literally be killed. The main weapon of all the thieves was a homemade knife "finka" similar to a bayonet, with which they literally stabbed their victims. Thieves never attacked first. At first, they talked about putting tremendous pressure on the victim, a kind of psychological hypnosis. If the victim didn't respond to the conversation, then they used force. Prison is a home for a thief. They all felt at home in the prison/"zone" because all prisons and "zones" lived according to thieves' laws and were controlled by thieves. Russian Russian mafia: As you can see, the hierarchy and principles are very similar to the Italian mafia, which is why Russian thieves began to be called the "Russian mafia". In the 90s, chaos and lawlessness began in Russia. A new team of Russian crime has entered the criminal arena - bandits. And these are already strong Russian men who were all involved in sports and martial arts. Unlike thieves, bandits did not like to talk and often beat them first, and then, taking advantage of the victim's fright, they demanded what they needed. What the thieves really didn't like was that they were always responsible for their words, whereas bandits could insult just for fun. Bandits were not thieves, but they were robbers and raiders (although technically they were the same thieves - they robbed and killed.), i.e. they did not take by cunning and skills, but by force and fear. They did not recognize the code of thieves and did not obey the rules of thieves, which is why thieves called them boundless (spitting on the law and acting the way he wants) and killed them for lawlessness in the "thieves' community". Thus, thieves and bandits literally hated each other, and when bandits began to enter the zone en masse, they began to create their own prison groups to take away some of the thieves' influence. So gangsters and thieves' clusters began to appear in prisons, and often both groups staged pogroms and chaos. Unlike thieves, bandits earned money by any means, i.e. robbed, killed, extorted, and even engaged in business. Actually, in all Western films, you all see bandits because of their behavior and methods of crime. Vigo Mortensen's character portrayed a thief, but behaved like a bandit. This is a complete Hollywood fiction crap. p.s. Another important point. Thieves had a code of honor... They hated rapists of children and women and killed them in prison. They did not rape other prisoners for nothing, but only as punishment for a serious offense. The bandits did what they wanted. Bandits have a saying: "Look where I am and where the future is," meaning they lived as if this day was their last day of life. After my comment, you can conclude how complete the picture you saw and how it fits in with what I said..)
Маленькое дополнение после ВОВ воры которые участвовали в ВОВ стали "суками". И ещё в 90 появились "апельсины" это те кто не за заслуги получал воровской титул, а покупал его
Would be great to hear opinion why nowadays absolute majority of thieves in law are not of Russian ethnicity. It was always like this or not. Reminds how Italian mafia ruled in US, but Russia is not immigrant society country in it's origin.
@@kazkaskitas Why are most thieves in law not Russians? It's simple, as time passes, everything undergoes decline and degradation. If earlier thieves in law were respected individuals with vast experience and intelligence, due to which they were crowned thieves in law and allowed to keep thieves' dorms, now this ideology is almost extinct - money has corrupted everything and everyone. As you know, not ordinary thieves, much less thieves in law, were not allowed by the thieves' code to live richly in luxury, just as they were not allowed to do business. Now thieves as a kind of criminals have almost disappeared, leaving only veterans from the last century who behave very quietly. And the status of a thief in law is now literally being sold for money. It is bought by ethnic non-Russians, i.e. representatives of Caucasian and Siberian indigenous ethnic groups. Most often, these are people from the Caucasus or Central Asia, i.e. representatives of Turkic and Persian ethnic groups who live in large numbers in Russia. The very fact of selling the title of thief in law is a deadly offense, for which a thief should be deprived of the status of a thief in law and can even be killed, but in the eastern people everything is measured by money, and since "the thieves' movement" itself died out and the bandits of businessmen won the war of crime in Russia, the remains of the thieves' community are not pecked by the Russians who established their own lousy rules and concepts.
This was Viggo´s own failure. Not only he failed to raise his son properly and teach him to fear and avoid John, when it was up to him to make proper apology, he instead sent an extermination squad... Which was like a war declaration.
One thing to point out is that pretty much always the russian language in Hollywood movies is heavily butchered or the accent is pretty much always wrong. With the exception of some background extras portrayed by russian actors.
It reminded me of one of The Wire episodes. When the Police officer that was supposed to be Polish said something in polish at the end of S02. But the accent was so butchered I had to rewind a few times to get it. But the best part were the English subtitles: "Says something in Russian"
Anything that isn't Spanish or maybe German is butchered. Hollywood keeps hiring Scandinavians to play East Slavs for some reason, and have American or British actors play Scandinavians just with made up accents. It's a clusterfuck, they've no idea about any of this.
Try speaking German and getting exposed to "Hollywood German" in every other movie. It's not even words, just harsh guttoral growling interlaced with a Jawohl! here and a Los! there. Before Christoph Waltz got in I thing the only time you got proper German was Hogan's Heroes. Kudos for Alan Rickman in Die Hard actually giving it a fair shot...
I'd also add an often overlooked Russian series called Bandit Petersburg. It may now look kinda low budget but the atmosphere of 90s Russia is just so precise. Alexey Serebryakov from Nobody also stars there, the guy knows how to play a gangster
Honestly, surprisingly well made video. The guy definitely knows what he's talking about. Rare quality for those sort of videos. Mentions of things like "Brat" or Butyrka prison was really surprising
I know what you mean by these sort of videos usually not having great quality, but I have to say in defense of insider. This channel usually has really good experts.
He sucks at talking, though. Way too many unnecessary pauses for my taste. Seems like he might have a breathing issue, but I'm inclined to blame his brain.
The politics get very complicated, especially when it comes to blame. So constant repetition of Russian mafia, yet one of the big bosses cut across at least 3 movies with the US oil fraud, buying banks and politicians and he isn't Russian. Neither big nor Little Odessa are in Russia either, but their businesses have always been very connected.
I watched a reaction channel from a Russian girl. She didn't have any insights into the Russian mob, but she was truly impressed how many things Eastern Promises got right with the language and culture.
I mean, the guy in the video has the credentials to back up what he's saying but OK. We will believe you, random netizen of unspecified origin and expertise. @@gogaonzhezhora8640
Viggo and Cronenberg had a few long discussions about the bath house scene, supposedly David wanted Vig to wear his towel the entire time, Vig said if they wanted it to have the proper impact, he had to do it nude. I think it’s the finest thing Cronenberg has shot outside of his horror films.
As a Russian I just have to like this video for bringing up the "Brother" ("Brat"). I guess a CIA operative would be the best consultant for a movie about bratva or thieves.
@@tommyt1971 Lol, I wish you guys could get what you wish for and then were forced to watch the whole thing. Wonder how many years of paperwork youd get through before offing yourselves.
fun fact eastern promises. after filming, Viggo left the tattoos on his body and they went to a restaurant. when the people there saw the tattoos, it became dead quiet and several customers left the restaurant. after that he always had the tattoos removed.
The Brother 1997 russian movie by Alexei Balabanov had an enormous budget of $10k or so, actors were paid something by only food and had to bring their own clothes. As a Russian I'm not a fan of this movie for ethnical reasons, but it captures Saint Petersburg, the city I live now and grew up, captures the 1990s and my childhood feeling from the city, and also touches upon the issue of organized crime growth after first Chechen war. The movie misunderstood quite a lot, director actually made Danila an anti-hero, but director's ambiguous style made people think that was Danila sort of a folk hero. In Brother 2 (2000) director was mocking this idea of Danila being folk hero, making him saying and doing stuff pretty much on the nose quite sarcastically, but people loved Danila (and the movie) even more. The actor Sergei Bodrov Jr. that played in both Brothers tragically lost his life in the Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide at the end of the second day of shooting of his movie "The messenger" in 2002. He was 30 years old. 125 people died that day in that tragedy. His body was never found, hence the urban legends that he's actually alive and just went for solitary life in Caucasian mountains. I personally not a fan of Balabanov movies in general, but he made quite a few interesting ones, including "Of Freaks and Men" 1998 (Про уродов и людей), about adult photo makers during last years of imperial Russia.
1990s: Russians talked a lot of BS about themselves, but knew it was BS. 2000s: Russians talked a lot of BS about themselves, and were starting to believe it. I feel like you can see this in the difference in tone between Brat 1 and Brat 2. At the very least, by the time of Brat 2, you can see audiences at least wanting to believe.
Balabanov movies are amazing, the way he captured and talks between the lines of the different problems in pretty much all the eras of Russia is impressive
BRAT/BRAT 2, and Бригада (Law of the Lawless), are probably the two best movies and shows about the Russian Mob. There are other good ones, but these are like the gold standard.
@@leonidfro8302 Says most Russians, including this one (with plenty of real world experience on the matter). No one ever said they're documentaries though. They're obviously dramatized fiction. A little too tuned down at times, compared to reality. Life is often wilder/crazier than fiction.
@@черепахаестклубничку как развлекательный фильм - нормально, но к реальности отношения не имеет. Более того - «Брат» это не про мафию. Банда и мафия это немного разные вещи.
I mean, they meant Babaika, not Baba Yaga, it was just an error that has been fixed after the movie was released in the BluRay versions. Which is why he calls him the Boogeyman, not Scary Old Woman.
@@lwrncschmchr In a way, but parents don't really tell their children stories of Chernobog anymore XD Babaika is still fairly common, even my mom told me about it when I was little and that was like... 30 years ago.
@@paranidherc babaika is a kid's scare considered laughable by everyone who's not under 3 years old. Tbf nobody would take him seriously with either of those nicknames.
Ah no ways! Lord of War! At 16:29 I'm the blonde guy on the left. That scene was shot in Cape Town South Africa. Was fun to meet Nicholas Cage. Also got to meet Michelle rodriguez at the afterparty. That film got me an imdb rating but also broke my thumb during one of the takes. The idiot on my right wasnt a stunt man and dove with the ak47 right onto my thumb
Just have to say that the guy attacking Viggo's character in sauna is not not member of Russian Mob, but another group and is from area where that type knife has long and dark history, because when Germans did take it over in WWII, they did list local thugs to SS and they did work as kill squads and use that type of working knife to kill tens of thousands of people...
First thing that came to my mind was me hoping he would do 'Eastern Promises'.. and it's the first one he does :D such a great, underrated movie! They actually don't make them like that anymore..
Not too realistic though. They clearly did their research but some of the details (including the coronation) were way off. Real "coronation" looks more like a corporate promotion. There's no this elaborate ceremony. Just other thieves gathering to discuss which part of the business now belongs to the newcomer, to avoid any future conflicts
I thought it will be a bunch of stigmatic scenes with appropriate commentary - but man, you had it with Brat scene. As born and raised in Russia in 80s and 90s - this movie represents and shows the life exactly it was back then. Huge like only because of scene of this movie.
This is fascinating. I knew virtually nothing about the Russian mob. At least the Russians in The Sopranos - Valery and Slava - were played by real Russians and didn't talk like Boris and Natasha cartoons.
I am a US Marine veteran, I was on deployment in 1999. One of the stops we made in the golf was UAE, me, and quite a few other Infantry Marines walked into a nightclub. We are war fighters, not bar room brawler. The moment that we walked in about five very serious man or Caucasian got up and slowly started walking towards us. We knew the best ending would be to exit. On a battlefield, a different story than in their nightclub. Too bad that could’ve been some good foreign relation stories.
@ it's the same quote (first line being the line before, "why do they call him the bullet dodger?", but in russian, because the movie was translated and dubbed by a legendary indie dubber Goblin, this quote sounds 100 times funnier. The translation of Boris' nickname itself is something like (translating back to english) Boris "Can't f*cking land a shot at him", but as you probably understand it sounds shorter, more charismatic and quippier in russian, with all our multitude of swear words and manerisms about it, really can't translate it. This and many more legendary lines, specifically because Goblin has been able to both deliver all the style Guy Ritchie was intending in the original as well as add his own beautiful delivery (oh he dubbs every single character by the way, a one man project), cemented this movie as a classic in russia and we even call it (specifically Goblin's dub) russian folklore. Because it really does feel like folklore, some people quote the movie without ever seeing it. There even exists a professional studio translation + dubbing but no one watches it (they translated the movie as "big jackpot" come on what is this).
@MisterIncog Thanks. One of the things I always liked about Russians is their brutal, matter of fact honesty and the fact they turn swearing into a poetic artform.
What drives me crazy is when movies show ANY Russians, and they toast with "nazdrove" - which is POLISH! It doesn't matter if it's a small film or a 100-million-dollar production. Obviously, there can't be found a single Russian or just any Russian-speaking person in the whole US. 🤨
@Baboonery_ nope it's both wrong. Na zdarovje is when you serve food, and the person says "thank you" you would answer "na zdorovje" (two words) meaning "you are welcome" and it's not a toast. Nazdorove as a toast doesn't makes sense in Russian whatsoever since 1. the prepositions is wrong (it's za not na) and 2. in russian it's two words, za being the correct preposition for toasts. Za zdarovje as a toast is not wrong but it's more common to say sth. Like "vashe/tvajo zdarovje"
@@solokom There is no one correct way to toast. As they say in Russian: "Было бы что пить, а повод найдется." roughly translated , "As long as there is something to drink, we'll find the cause" :-) The "za zdorov'e " is not wrong. Here is an example form a famous poem "Враги сожгли родную хату": Не осуждай меня, Прасковья, Что я пришел к тебе такой: Хотел я выпить за здоровье, А должен пить за упокой.
@@iz778 I didn't say there was. I only explained how *not* to toast in Russian, which is toasting in Polish. ;) "za zdorov'e " is not grammatically wrong, but it's not used as a toast (anymore?). Maybe it has been used as a toast in the past, but the poem you quote is from 1945 and since then, 80 years ago, the Russian language changed a lot.
Very good choice of host for this topic. Was waiting for this one and also studying the Russian organised crime as a kid and teenager I am usually disappointed in people’s bad info and poor understanding of Russian culture. This guy was spot on! Also the Movie Brat (brother) is a must watch especially the second movie when he goes to the USA. It is a good way to see how Russians think and perceive things.
Great video, loved the inclusion of the Russian films and series! Would have loved to have seen slightly longer breakdowns for them as well as notable mentions for other cult classics like Brother 2 (2000) and Bumer/Bimmer (2003).
I read that Viggo met with a few vory v zakone gangsters in prison to learn a few things. One of them even gave him a set of worry beads he’d made out of Bic-type cigarette lighters.
@@michaelchallis4129 I don't think so. They just fast-forwarded through the history of the twentieth century for the US (since it was the US that created their market economy in its own image and likeness, which is why in many ways these two countries became more similar than many people think at first glance. American experts invested heavily in them in the 90s and taught them literally everything, not only the market economy, but also how to abuse elections, bribe politicians, and so on) I think the same thing happened to their mafia as to the gangsters of the 1930s for the same reasons. Some of them simply went into legal business, some became billionaires, some went into politics, some went to prison, some are dead, and only a few continued to engage in criminal activity.
In the first season of an Australian series called 'Underbelly'- based on real gangland history in Melbourne & Sydney, predominantly- there was a figure known as Nik 'The Russian' Radev, & yet he was actually Bulgarian - there was a scene where he joked that no one knows where Bulgaria is, but **everyone** knows Russia...
I feel sorry for you that Russia will never progress. Genuinely, there are so many amazing things about the Russian people. But 'the culture' and the thinking makes you think the enemy is some other nation, but it's in the mirror.
@@ML6103imao what are you talking about Russia has the 4th largest economy and a quiet strong economy. Bro believes to much American propaganda send by the military industrial complex to have a bogeyman 😂
Guy is indeed really knowledgeable. The thing about russian "mafia" whatever this mean, is that all of these people are either dead or got promoted to run russian government or own a british football clubs, and they are ashamed of their past. Its all folklore now, nobody does stars on their knees anymore, guys who has them are in their 70es, nobody listen to them anymore, but they keep their privileges out of respect.
Have you read last boss of Brighton? They are very much still highly active. It's just not like what we're accustomed to here structure wise and behavior wise. More akin to a street gang with very high IQ and talent. Is best id describe it.
WOW.!!! Iam Russian, and I am shocked at how correctly and clearly the life, structure, customs and actions of the Russian mafia are conveyed. Great respect and gratitude for the speaker's truthfulness and knowledge. Applause and WOW.!!!! PS. Special thanks for mentioning the movie Brother, and the TV series Brigade, which most reliably show the horror that was happening in the 90s
In the 90s my school decided to participate in an exchange program to promote good will between Americans and Russians. I recall the teacher in charge saying that they all realized something was amiss when they arrived and their host families all had giant houses with indoor pools and such and such. I believe the following year they took steps to ensure a less mobby/more ordinary experience.
Joe Serio is absolutely correct that the corruption of American politicians by oligarchs, both domestic and foreign, is by far the most frightening aspect of this video.
Hello from 2017 Я узнал, что у меня Нет в России ни *уя: Нету нефти, нету газа, Нету золота, алмазов, Нет свободы, правды нет, Под угрозой интернет. Нет дорог и автобанов, Инноваций нету нано. Нет науки, школы нет, Медицине шлю привет! А у дяди, с дружбанами *ляди, вилы на Майами Самолеты и заводы Яхты, дачи, пароходы Все что нету у меня Все у них есть, до *уя. Дети учатся в Сорбоннах Деньги крутятся в Андоррах Но сидят они в России И радеют, каждый час За законы, против смысла, За откаты, за Глонас За распил убогих пенсий За развал полей и весей За продажу вод и недр За все то, чем край наш щедр! Их себе не выбирали И до этого не знали Но пришли они, и вот Все пошло "Как Бог пошлет".
Brat 2 is more of a director's satire on how his main character of the first movie became a national superhero in Russia then an actual portrayal of russian mafia
Hey, can you guys get a pizza delivery expert on to rate some pizza delivery scenes from adult movies? I really need to know which ones are the most accurate. Thanks!
Not a movie, but I wish they had covered GTA IV. Brother will suffice since the earlier part of the game takes inspiration from Brother and its sequel.
Real Russian mobsters certainly don't line up by the hundreds just to be shot by John Wick, let alone hand their guns over to him via hand-to-hand combat as soon he runs out of ammunition.
Brother is one of my utmost favourite movies of all time! Really cool that you guys included it in your list. This movie really depicts the 90s in Russia.
@dontcallmezoo why would he point that out? Its a movie. He also didnt point out they were speaking english in most these Russian mafia movies. Why? Because their movies.
Took me by surprise, didn’t expect to see it. Now I just wish the segment on brigade was longer, but it seems he just brought it up himself, they didn’t prepare it?
Бригада is probably one of my favorite Russian Mob, fictional pieces of media. Such a classic. I always wished they made a sequel...There's another show/series, that I can't remember the name of, it was really good. I just remember watching it with my family when I was younger...I'll ask them, I'm sure they remember. It was on the same level.
Brigade is a great series. Not too long, only 12 episodes if I remember correctly. Although You might have problems with finding it available with English subtitles, let alone voiceover.
Exceptionally well done! Obviously this 'Expert' is very experienced and his analysis seems very logical and flows easily. I think he really knows what he's talking about.
Worth to mention another good mini series: “The Boy’s word: Blood on the Asphalt”. Mini series released about year ago. About teenagers gangs in Kazan in 1980s.
One thing you failed to mention or differentiate, is that there are effectively two forms of organized Russian crime. The Thieves which you mention, but there are also the Bratki/Bratva (brothers/brotherhood, the title of the movie "Brother" is an allusion to this). Bratki is very similar to conventional mafia, except that they're chock full of ex military and special forces because the 90s left so many people either out of jobs or earning unlivable salaries. This is what makes them so scary, but also why so many of them have good connections to the government. This is where that joke from Sopranos about the "interior decorator" comes from, shame you didn't cover it, the guy used to be in the Ministry of Interior Affairs aka the combined police and special forces thing. Thieves would never allow a "b*tch" (someone who served in military) into their ranks, and actually there was an event post ww2 called "the b*tch war" where guys returning from the front to finish their sentences (manpower was low, so convicts were allowed to take up arms to fight germans) would be killed en masse and they retaliated against the Thieves (the Thieves also have a strong association with Russia's neonazi culture, partially for their extreme anti-soviet/anti-government position). The Thieves in general are a very anarchist, weirdly in a very modern sense, loose coalition of individuals or small gangs where the Thieves In Law serve as arbirtrers to settle disputes as well as the keepers of the Obshak, rather than outright leaders. Most of what you'd see in media would be Bratki, but sometimes it gets mixed around a lot, even though the two styles are very distinct and have historically been at each others' throats.
There is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores in my hometown. In the span of five years, they went from 3-4 store fronts to near ubiquity. I can't even guess how many locations they have. Many are within literal sight of each other. These stores not only sell fuel (almost always undercutting competition by a few cents per gallon) and the regular quickie mart sodas/beers/smokes - but also prepaid cellphones, glass pipes/hookahs, etc. They are owned by Kazakh and Azerbaijani immigrants, I believe. Definitely, former Soviet Republic, but not ethnic Russian. I have no direct knowledge of anything illegal or nefarious. If it were a simple mom and pop operation with a couple of storefronts, I would say that it's just the American immigrant dream at work. But, their quick rise, the slight but noticeable price advantage, and the slightly shady merchandising, all hint to me that there is something behind it. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I am. I'm a sucker for a feel good immigrant story. But, their stores give me the creeps.
4:14 Viggo has a very heavy accent. I’m native Russian, if it wasn’t for subtitles, I wouldn’t understand what he said. The other actor was a native Russian. I understood him perfectly. But Viggo - no. Bravo for making the effort, but his Russian is not that good, sorry to say.
Nobody was the 1st movie I saw after theatres opened back up 2021 and it was the PERFECT flick after not seeing any for a year. Best part is Christopher Lloyd, he clearly had a blast doing that part.
You should have historians or mob experts do a reaction video to the episode about prohibition from the RUclips channel Oversimplified. It’s a funny yet memorable take on history.
@@mercilesspig Well yeah the numerous biker gangs that used to control the drug trade in Finland. The Finnish criminal organizations would probably not be interesting to foreigners, but to me they are.
Insanely a childhood friend had a cousin that got caught up in a Russian fight syndicate in the U.S. 20 or so years ago. Was a 6 foot tall farmboy that weighed 160 dripping wet and then they gave him steroids. Didn't see him for a few years and then Timmy was damn near 250 scary looking as f with scars eveywhere..
100%, all legit, 9/10??! Tf does this dude need for a 10, an actual russian mobster crawling out of the tv like some sort of horrific The Ring scenario to extort somebody?
Yep! Those are definitely deep cuts for a non-russian to know about. Wonder if he ever checked out Banditsky Peterburg? It's another great series on organized crime, though also from the law enforcement perspective. While it's fantasy, it still had a lot of great moments, and somewhat realistic scenarios, characters, concepts, etc.
So glad you reviewed Brat! I was wondering. It's nice to see you consume Russian media on this as well. A lot of interesting detective and crime shows.
If you want some more good films about Russian mobsters, watch “Жмурки”it’s literally the Russian Lock, stock and 2 smoking barrels, a black comedy, or “Бумер”, a great film too
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Paulie - "he was an interior decorator" Christopher - " his house looked like sh*t"
Dude killed 16 Czechoslovakians! Some sort of Russian Interior Decorator!!!
Chrissie's "number two", whatever happened there
@@Ser_Arthur_DayneBut there's more serious question than all of those
HOW MUCH BETRAYAL CAN PAULIE TAKE??!!
@@Dinoface96 He *NEEDS* that money for his Future Planning!!! Green Grove costs a FORTUNE & gotta have the *Silver Bird Package!!!* 😁🤣😂
@@Ser_Arthur_Dayne ITLBETUFF! you see a seeing eye dog? cup fulla pencils?
Shame everyone forgets about S2 of The Wire. "Did he have hands? Did he have a face? Yes? Then it wasn't us." Such a crazy line.
Season 2 is probably my favourite as well.
Indeed. Great season btw. Mexico, South America and the Eastern Bloc plus Russia are on a different level
thats goated but I think Sergei was Ukrainian but he def came under the Soviet Union part of me probably wonders if the Greeks was Russian Mafia tho but Ziggy gets corrected by Sergei when Ziggy says Same thing right? " No your wrong" in I think Episode 1 or 2
@@Narfwak the Sopranos episode with Paulie, Michael and that russian guy in the woods is just too good as well 🤣🤣
I just watched that less than a week ago, now I'm in the 4th season for propably the 5th time. Such a great show.
There was interview with some Italian Mafioso where he was asked about Russians, he said: These are the most punctual people I have met. And indeed in Russia it's considered to be rude to be late or to not hold your word. So when they make threats you should know they're real, they're not just trying to scare you, they're bluntly telling you what is going to happen.
I heard an interview in the early 90's of a Major in the USA military who said similar. He said when the Russians say they are going to do something they do it.
Yes, just in general in any area of life keeping your word and not betraying trust is very important for Russians. You lose all respect otherwise
Преступная среда та же деловая, она завязана на взаимоуважении. Только более строгая. Если вы позволяете себе лгать или хотя бы даже опаздывать, то вы банально не уважаете человека (или группу людей) - а это уже оскорбление, за которое можно поплатиться. От страны к стране может варьироваться степень серьезности того или иного проступка, но в целом везде одно и то же.
@@harryhaller7153 Согласен, но я цитировал одного из Итальянских мафиози из Америки, с его точки зрения Русская мафия самая пунктуальная. Это говорит о том, что преступная среда других стран уступает в ней.
A comment from a random Russian, which is missing here.
As an ethnic Russian who has born and lived in Russia all his life, I will say this. I have mixed impressions of this video and here's why.
On the one hand, I agree with many of the arguments of this expert, i.e. in general, he is telling the truth. On the other hand, he doesn't finish a significant piece of information, literally basic information. And that's the point.
The fact is that the Russian mafia is an exclusively English-language term that literally summarizes the entire crime of Russia/the USSR, but the truth is that there is no single crime and it is divided into both national criminal groups (Chechens, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Ukrainians, Jews, Gypsies, etc.) and ideological groups.
And here's the most interesting part.
The so-called "Russian mafia" is divided into two ideological criminal groups that literally hate each other. The first is the "thieves' community" and the second is the "bandits". That's exactly what they were called in Russia.
The "thieves' community" is based on the name of this group of thieves of various stripes, i.e. thieves: "wet" (killers), homes (burglars), beares (safecracker), the tweezer (pickpockets - an elite of thieves) etc. "The thieves' community" originated in the Russian Empire and its creation is attributed to Stalin, who was an anarchist terrorist in tsarist times. It was he who, just like the Italian mafia, came up with a whole "code of thieves" for thieves, they literally had their own strict hierarchy and principles, violation of which was punishable by death or descent to the level of a doormat.
The main principle of thieves is complete contempt for the authorities, which means that they do not have the right to earn money in an honest way, i.e. to have a business; to work for the country or for people connected with the state; to cooperate with the state. Serve in the army.
They are all thieves and their credo is to steal from the state. Since they are in 100% opposition to the government, they are forced to literally live in isolation from society. For self-identification, they developed a number of tattoos that spoke about them and their merits, and they were responsible for these tattoos with blood, i.e. if someone just tattooed a thief (as thieves' tattoos were called), they were forced to cut out their tattooed skin with a knife. So the thieves had their own language, it was called "fenya", so they could talk about their business in public, and no one but the thieves understood them.
"The thieves had a community", to which each of them contributed his share. The most important thief, the "thief in law", kept the communal apartment. All thieves, like "thieves in law", were forbidden to live in luxury, otherwise they could literally be killed.
The main weapon of all the thieves was a homemade knife "finka" similar to a bayonet, with which they literally stabbed their victims.
Thieves never attacked first. At first, they talked about putting tremendous pressure on the victim, a kind of psychological hypnosis. If the victim didn't respond to the conversation, then they used force.
Prison is a home for a thief. They all felt at home in the prison/"zone" because all prisons and "zones" lived according to thieves' laws and were controlled by thieves.
Russian Russian mafia: As you can see, the hierarchy and principles are very similar to the Italian mafia, which is why Russian thieves began to be called the "Russian mafia".
In the 90s, chaos and lawlessness began in Russia. A new team of Russian crime has entered the criminal arena - bandits.
And these are already strong Russian men who were all involved in sports and martial arts. Unlike thieves, bandits did not like to talk and often beat them first, and then, taking advantage of the victim's fright, they demanded what they needed. What the thieves really didn't like was that they were always responsible for their words, whereas bandits could insult just for fun.
Bandits were not thieves, but they were robbers and raiders (although technically they were the same thieves - they robbed and killed.), i.e. they did not take by cunning and skills, but by force and fear. They did not recognize the code of thieves and did not obey the rules of thieves, which is why thieves called them boundless (spitting on the law and acting the way he wants) and killed them for lawlessness in the "thieves' community".
Thus, thieves and bandits literally hated each other, and when bandits began to enter the zone en masse, they began to create their own prison groups to take away some of the thieves' influence. So gangsters and thieves' clusters began to appear in prisons, and often both groups staged pogroms and chaos.
Unlike thieves, bandits earned money by any means, i.e. robbed, killed, extorted, and even engaged in business.
Actually, in all Western films, you all see bandits because of their behavior and methods of crime. Vigo Mortensen's character portrayed a thief, but behaved like a bandit. This is a complete Hollywood fiction crap.
p.s. Another important point. Thieves had a code of honor... They hated rapists of children and women and killed them in prison. They did not rape other prisoners for nothing, but only as punishment for a serious offense.
The bandits did what they wanted. Bandits have a saying: "Look where I am and where the future is," meaning they lived as if this day was their last day of life.
After my comment, you can conclude how complete the picture you saw and how it fits in with what I said..)
Согласен полностью.... Привет с Урала
Маленькое дополнение после ВОВ воры которые участвовали в ВОВ стали "суками". И ещё в 90 появились "апельсины" это те кто не за заслуги получал воровской титул, а покупал его
Would be great to hear opinion why nowadays absolute majority of thieves in law are not of Russian ethnicity. It was always like this or not. Reminds how Italian mafia ruled in US, but Russia is not immigrant society country in it's origin.
@@kazkaskitas Why are most thieves in law not Russians?
It's simple, as time passes, everything undergoes decline and degradation.
If earlier thieves in law were respected individuals with vast experience and intelligence, due to which they were crowned thieves in law and allowed to keep thieves' dorms, now this ideology is almost extinct - money has corrupted everything and everyone.
As you know, not ordinary thieves, much less thieves in law, were not allowed by the thieves' code to live richly in luxury, just as they were not allowed to do business. Now thieves as a kind of criminals have almost disappeared, leaving only veterans from the last century who behave very quietly.
And the status of a thief in law is now literally being sold for money. It is bought by ethnic non-Russians, i.e. representatives of Caucasian and Siberian indigenous ethnic groups. Most often, these are people from the Caucasus or Central Asia, i.e. representatives of Turkic and Persian ethnic groups who live in large numbers in Russia.
The very fact of selling the title of thief in law is a deadly offense, for which a thief should be deprived of the status of a thief in law and can even be killed, but in the eastern people everything is measured by money, and since "the thieves' movement" itself died out and the bandits of businessmen won the war of crime in Russia, the remains of the thieves' community are not pecked by the Russians who established their own lousy rules and concepts.
In John Wick's defense, Viggo was _quick_ to try and talk it out with John first when he found out what happened.
nothing will bring his dog/wife back... therefore all debts are off.
this
@@OrigCapnMojo it's "all bets are off".
This was Viggo´s own failure. Not only he failed to raise his son properly and teach him to fear and avoid John, when it was up to him to make proper apology, he instead sent an extermination squad... Which was like a war declaration.
Never mess with a man's wife,kids or Dog😉
One thing to point out is that pretty much always the russian language in Hollywood movies is heavily butchered or the accent is pretty much always wrong. With the exception of some background extras portrayed by russian actors.
It reminded me of one of The Wire episodes. When the Police officer that was supposed to be Polish said something in polish at the end of S02.
But the accent was so butchered I had to rewind a few times to get it.
But the best part were the English subtitles:
"Says something in Russian"
@@grzegorzswist grzegorz brzęczyszczykiewicz
Anything that isn't Spanish or maybe German is butchered. Hollywood keeps hiring Scandinavians to play East Slavs for some reason, and have American or British actors play Scandinavians just with made up accents. It's a clusterfuck, they've no idea about any of this.
Try speaking German and getting exposed to "Hollywood German" in every other movie. It's not even words, just harsh guttoral growling interlaced with a Jawohl! here and a Los! there. Before Christoph Waltz got in I thing the only time you got proper German was Hogan's Heroes. Kudos for Alan Rickman in Die Hard actually giving it a fair shot...
Christopher Waltz is Austrian. Which is no longer part of Germany. Goddamn, we really have to watch yall like a child w a cookie huh?
10/10 breakdown just for Brother alone lol. Love that movie.
And Brigada... We're together since the first grade!
@@wckvn Brigada has 5 of 10 for me cause it's filmed by the mafia about themselves and obviously they wanted to show themselves better than they are.
I'd also add an often overlooked Russian series called Bandit Petersburg. It may now look kinda low budget but the atmosphere of 90s Russia is just so precise. Alexey Serebryakov from Nobody also stars there, the guy knows how to play a gangster
Honestly, surprisingly well made video. The guy definitely knows what he's talking about. Rare quality for those sort of videos. Mentions of things like "Brat" or Butyrka prison was really surprising
I know what you mean by these sort of videos usually not having great quality, but I have to say in defense of insider. This channel usually has really good experts.
He sucks at talking, though. Way too many unnecessary pauses for my taste.
Seems like he might have a breathing issue, but I'm inclined to blame his brain.
The politics get very complicated, especially when it comes to blame. So constant repetition of Russian mafia, yet one of the big bosses cut across at least 3 movies with the US oil fraud, buying banks and politicians and he isn't Russian. Neither big nor Little Odessa are in Russia either, but their businesses have always been very connected.
Nope. As expected he is not very knowledgable.
Thank god 'Eastern Promises' gets as much attention in this video as it deserves. Truly a masterpiece of story telling.
No it sucked
Troll much@@yevgeniyban765
I grew up in tje 90s Moscow and Eastern Promises made me cringe so bad
@yevgeniyban765 Yes, it was terrible lol Only Americans like it
Meh..
I watched a reaction channel from a Russian girl. She didn't have any insights into the Russian mob, but she was truly impressed how many things Eastern Promises got right with the language and culture.
Dasha's reaction to Eastern Promises was top tier
They got nothing right. Great comedy as always when westerners try to portray Russians.
@gogaonzhezhora8640 almost as funny when Russia tries to pretend it's a modern country outside of downtown Moscow.
I mean, the guy in the video has the credentials to back up what he's saying but OK. We will believe you, random netizen of unspecified origin and expertise. @@gogaonzhezhora8640
Great movie
Viggo and Cronenberg had a few long discussions about the bath house scene, supposedly David wanted Vig to wear his towel the entire time, Vig said if they wanted it to have the proper impact, he had to do it nude. I think it’s the finest thing Cronenberg has shot outside of his horror films.
And it's also spot on that the weapon was something they would have just owned, as it was a linoleum knife.
As a Russian I just have to like this video for bringing up the "Brother" ("Brat"). I guess a CIA operative would be the best consultant for a movie about bratva or thieves.
The sequel is great too. RIP Aleksei Balabanov
Somebody get Paul Giamatti a script of this guy’s career ASAP
THAT would be COOL.
@@tommyt1971 Lol, I wish you guys could get what you wish for and then were forced to watch the whole thing. Wonder how many years of paperwork youd get through before offing yourselves.
My exact thought lol
fun fact eastern promises. after filming, Viggo left the tattoos on his body and they went to a restaurant. when the people there saw the tattoos, it became dead quiet and several customers left the restaurant. after that he always had the tattoos removed.
The Brother 1997 russian movie by Alexei Balabanov had an enormous budget of $10k or so, actors were paid something by only food and had to bring their own clothes. As a Russian I'm not a fan of this movie for ethnical reasons, but it captures Saint Petersburg, the city I live now and grew up, captures the 1990s and my childhood feeling from the city, and also touches upon the issue of organized crime growth after first Chechen war. The movie misunderstood quite a lot, director actually made Danila an anti-hero, but director's ambiguous style made people think that was Danila sort of a folk hero.
In Brother 2 (2000) director was mocking this idea of Danila being folk hero, making him saying and doing stuff pretty much on the nose quite sarcastically, but people loved Danila (and the movie) even more. The actor Sergei Bodrov Jr. that played in both Brothers tragically lost his life in the Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide at the end of the second day of shooting of his movie "The messenger" in 2002. He was 30 years old. 125 people died that day in that tragedy. His body was never found, hence the urban legends that he's actually alive and just went for solitary life in Caucasian mountains.
I personally not a fan of Balabanov movies in general, but he made quite a few interesting ones, including "Of Freaks and Men" 1998 (Про уродов и людей), about adult photo makers during last years of imperial Russia.
1990s: Russians talked a lot of BS about themselves, but knew it was BS.
2000s: Russians talked a lot of BS about themselves, and were starting to believe it.
I feel like you can see this in the difference in tone between Brat 1 and Brat 2. At the very least, by the time of Brat 2, you can see audiences at least wanting to believe.
Balabanov movies are amazing, the way he captured and talks between the lines of the different problems in pretty much all the eras of Russia is impressive
There is also Sisters movie directed by Bodrov in similar style. Quite good.
RIP Sergei
I'm gonna check that out thanks man 👍
Eastern Promises is still one of the most brutal movies Ive ever seen in my life. That fight scene in the shower, jesus.
BRAT/BRAT 2, and Бригада (Law of the Lawless), are probably the two best movies and shows about the Russian Mob. There are other good ones, but these are like the gold standard.
Says who? Those are as truthful as StarWars about astronomy. Or Rembo. Good movies, true, but nothing to do with reality.
@@leonidfro8302 Says most Russians, including this one (with plenty of real world experience on the matter). No one ever said they're documentaries though. They're obviously dramatized fiction. A little too tuned down at times, compared to reality. Life is often wilder/crazier than fiction.
Brat was a good depiction of Russian 90s. Others are more fiction thought,that's true @@leonidfro8302
@@leonidfro8302 ну первый брат вполне себе, а вот бригада это чистая фантастика
@@черепахаестклубничку как развлекательный фильм - нормально, но к реальности отношения не имеет. Более того - «Брат» это не про мафию. Банда и мафия это немного разные вещи.
I mean, they meant Babaika, not Baba Yaga, it was just an error that has been fixed after the movie was released in the BluRay versions. Which is why he calls him the Boogeyman, not Scary Old Woman.
Chernobog would have been a better reference, IMO. The "Black God," "God of Misfortune," or simply "The Devil"
@@lwrncschmchr In a way, but parents don't really tell their children stories of Chernobog anymore XD Babaika is still fairly common, even my mom told me about it when I was little and that was like... 30 years ago.
@@paranidherc babaika is a kid's scare considered laughable by everyone who's not under 3 years old.
Tbf nobody would take him seriously with either of those nicknames.
calling baba yaga scary old woman is like calling hitler average angry german
But baba is grandmother. Baba yaga is basically old evil witch
Eastern Promises was a masterpiece. History of Violence was as well. Cronenberg is a master storyteller. I miss movies like that.
"I don't like this scene, bathhouse were generally places of safety." That is the of the point of the scene man. They're doing him dirty.
He is saying it is unrealistic for them to break that unwritten rule
Could've thrown in RocknRolla in there for good measure. Good underrated film. The scene with the Russians getting robbed was gold!
I need to watch that movie again. Been too long.
abandon ship!
Did you know handsome bob was a...ya know....
Ah no ways! Lord of War! At 16:29 I'm the blonde guy on the left. That scene was shot in Cape Town South Africa. Was fun to meet Nicholas Cage. Also got to meet Michelle rodriguez at the afterparty. That film got me an imdb rating but also broke my thumb during one of the takes. The idiot on my right wasnt a stunt man and dove with the ak47 right onto my thumb
Just have to say that the guy attacking Viggo's character in sauna is not not member of Russian Mob, but another group and is from area where that type knife has long and dark history, because when Germans did take it over in WWII, they did list local thugs to SS and they did work as kill squads and use that type of working knife to kill tens of thousands of people...
This knife named " Serbosek ",Croats used this knife to kill Serbs.
If stopped and searched by NCA, it is more plausible to explain why you are carrying a carpet knife or linoleum cutter versus say a switchblade.
First thing that came to my mind was me hoping he would do 'Eastern Promises'.. and it's the first one he does :D such a great, underrated movie! They actually don't make them like that anymore..
Not too realistic though. They clearly did their research but some of the details (including the coronation) were way off. Real "coronation" looks more like a corporate promotion. There's no this elaborate ceremony. Just other thieves gathering to discuss which part of the business now belongs to the newcomer, to avoid any future conflicts
@DRUGGED_PARAMILITARY whatever, i have never been in a russian mob.. still a great movie
It sucked horribly
@natashka1982 not as bad as you
@@natashka1982 why so?
I am living in Russia, served in police and familiar with mob world. Good move in my opinion.
I thought it will be a bunch of stigmatic scenes with appropriate commentary - but man, you had it with Brat scene. As born and raised in Russia in 80s and 90s - this movie represents and shows the life exactly it was back then. Huge like only because of scene of this movie.
I love that he actually included russisn movies and shows. BRAT(BROTHER) & BRIGADA (BRIGADE) must watch
Mob Peterborough
This is fascinating. I knew virtually nothing about the Russian mob. At least the Russians in The Sopranos - Valery and Slava - were played by real Russians and didn't talk like Boris and Natasha cartoons.
Slava was played by an American actor of Romanian descent. His Russian was good but his accent wasn't.
I am a US Marine veteran, I was on deployment in 1999. One of the stops we made in the golf was UAE, me, and quite a few other Infantry Marines walked into a nightclub. We are war fighters, not bar room brawler. The moment that we walked in about five very serious man or Caucasian got up and slowly started walking towards us. We knew the best ending would be to exit. On a battlefield, a different story than in their nightclub. Too bad that could’ve been some good foreign relation stories.
It's was in Serbia?
Wow, where else were you deployed, Amanda?
Your a butcher
"Because he dodges bullets Avi......."
А ПОЧЕМУ ЕГО ЗОВУТ "ХРЕН ПОПАДЁШЬ"?
ДА ПОТОМУ ЧТО В НЕГО ХРЕН ПОПАДЁШЬ, АВИ
Snatch is russian folklore
@MisterIncog Any chance of a translation for an Englishman who's Cyrillic is rusty/non existent?
@ it's the same quote (first line being the line before, "why do they call him the bullet dodger?", but in russian, because the movie was translated and dubbed by a legendary indie dubber Goblin, this quote sounds 100 times funnier. The translation of Boris' nickname itself is something like (translating back to english) Boris "Can't f*cking land a shot at him", but as you probably understand it sounds shorter, more charismatic and quippier in russian, with all our multitude of swear words and manerisms about it, really can't translate it.
This and many more legendary lines, specifically because Goblin has been able to both deliver all the style Guy Ritchie was intending in the original as well as add his own beautiful delivery (oh he dubbs every single character by the way, a one man project), cemented this movie as a classic in russia and we even call it (specifically Goblin's dub) russian folklore. Because it really does feel like folklore, some people quote the movie without ever seeing it. There even exists a professional studio translation + dubbing but no one watches it (they translated the movie as "big jackpot" come on what is this).
@MisterIncog Thanks. One of the things I always liked about Russians is their brutal, matter of fact honesty and the fact they turn swearing into a poetic artform.
I used to visit the Sanduny Banya in Moscow... There were some VERY scary people there, but the guys waiting outside, they were a different league.
"Brat" (Brother) one of the best movies. No glamour, no glitz, no romanticizing, just the dark, miserable truth of human existance.
What drives me crazy is when movies show ANY Russians, and they toast with "nazdrove" - which is POLISH! It doesn't matter if it's a small film or a 100-million-dollar production. Obviously, there can't be found a single Russian or just any Russian-speaking person in the whole US. 🤨
what are you talking about? They usually say "za zdorovje" but "na" also works...
@Baboonery_ nope it's both wrong. Na zdarovje is when you serve food, and the person says "thank you" you would answer "na zdorovje" (two words) meaning "you are welcome" and it's not a toast. Nazdorove as a toast doesn't makes sense in Russian whatsoever since 1. the prepositions is wrong (it's za not na) and 2. in russian it's two words, za being the correct preposition for toasts. Za zdarovje as a toast is not wrong but it's more common to say sth. Like "vashe/tvajo zdarovje"
@@solokom There is no one correct way to toast. As they say in Russian: "Было бы что пить, а повод найдется." roughly translated , "As long as there is something to drink, we'll find the cause" :-) The "za zdorov'e " is not wrong. Here is an example form a famous poem "Враги сожгли родную хату":
Не осуждай меня, Прасковья,
Что я пришел к тебе такой:
Хотел я выпить за здоровье,
А должен пить за упокой.
@@iz778 I didn't say there was. I only explained how *not* to toast in Russian, which is toasting in Polish. ;) "za zdorov'e " is not grammatically wrong, but it's not used as a toast (anymore?). Maybe it has been used as a toast in the past, but the poem you quote is from 1945 and since then, 80 years ago, the Russian language changed a lot.
Doesn't help that often in Hollywood Russians are played by Polish actors.
"typically crime was not done in bathhouses; Murder outside of bathhouse."
really enjoyed this presented by a true professional👋👋
I looked up Alexander Solonik.. wow. It's crazy that when you look for photos of him, only two...TWO photos exist on the internet.
Very good choice of host for this topic. Was waiting for this one and also studying the Russian organised crime as a kid and teenager I am usually disappointed in people’s bad info and poor understanding of Russian culture. This guy was spot on! Also the Movie Brat (brother) is a must watch especially the second movie when he goes to the USA. It is a good way to see how Russians think and perceive things.
You used Bilibin's illustration for Baba Yaga... Wow... I like how your experts work, this is very professional!!!
Seeing "Брат" was unexpected but welcome. This film is so iconic in Russia.
all time classic
Greatest film about Russia in 90s. Ours Taxi driver
Great video, loved the inclusion of the Russian films and series! Would have loved to have seen slightly longer breakdowns for them as well as notable mentions for other cult classics like Brother 2 (2000) and Bumer/Bimmer (2003).
Wow he mentioned Брат and Бригада 😳
I read that Viggo met with a few vory v zakone gangsters in prison to learn a few things. One of them even gave him a set of worry beads he’d made out of Bic-type cigarette lighters.
The way he told the stories made the heyday of the Russian mafia seem so exciting
They fell off.
@@michaelchallis4129 I don't think so. They just fast-forwarded through the history of the twentieth century for the US (since it was the US that created their market economy in its own image and likeness, which is why in many ways these two countries became more similar than many people think at first glance. American experts invested heavily in them in the 90s and taught them literally everything, not only the market economy, but also how to abuse elections, bribe politicians, and so on)
I think the same thing happened to their mafia as to the gangsters of the 1930s for the same reasons.
Some of them simply went into legal business, some became billionaires, some went into politics, some went to prison, some are dead, and only a few continued to engage in criminal activity.
... really? "exciting"??
@@realpoetics Well he's not wrong.
That word certainly applies well to many of the experiences you'd get.
In the first season of an Australian series called 'Underbelly'- based on real gangland history in Melbourne & Sydney, predominantly- there was a figure known as Nik 'The Russian' Radev, & yet he was actually Bulgarian - there was a scene where he joked that no one knows where Bulgaria is, but **everyone** knows Russia...
It's sad for me that, as a Russian, I just know all this stuff-it's simply a part of the culture.
Every race has a form of gang culture. Your not special. An Russians aren't just known for this.
I feel sorry for you that Russia will never progress. Genuinely, there are so many amazing things about the Russian people. But 'the culture' and the thinking makes you think the enemy is some other nation, but it's in the mirror.
@ML6103 Россия будет свободной
@@ML6103imao what are you talking about Russia has the 4th largest economy and a quiet strong economy. Bro believes to much American propaganda send by the military industrial complex to have a bogeyman 😂
@@KatyaOrlova-jp1gy I certainly hope so my friend
Guy is indeed really knowledgeable. The thing about russian "mafia" whatever this mean, is that all of these people are either dead or got promoted to run russian government or own a british football clubs, and they are ashamed of their past. Its all folklore now, nobody does stars on their knees anymore, guys who has them are in their 70es, nobody listen to them anymore, but they keep their privileges out of respect.
People still do stars on their knees. I know some personally. They're just not the Thieves necessarily, just otritsalovo
... guys who have* them / nobody listens* to them
Have you read last boss of Brighton? They are very much still highly active. It's just not like what we're accustomed to here structure wise and behavior wise. More akin to a street gang with very high IQ and talent. Is best id describe it.
Some gangs in the US are also cracking down on identifiable tattooing. Turns out, tattooing the name of your gang on your neck isn't such a great idea
WOW.!!! Iam Russian, and I am shocked at how correctly and clearly the life, structure, customs and actions of the Russian mafia are conveyed. Great respect and gratitude for the speaker's truthfulness and knowledge. Applause and WOW.!!!! PS. Special thanks for mentioning the movie Brother, and the TV series Brigade, which most reliably show the horror that was happening in the 90s
In the 90s my school decided to participate in an exchange program to promote good will between Americans and Russians. I recall the teacher in charge saying that they all realized something was amiss when they arrived and their host families all had giant houses with indoor pools and such and such.
I believe the following year they took steps to ensure a less mobby/more ordinary experience.
Awesome, please do Yakuza next !
Already done.
I'd love to hear his take on Burt Kreischer's "The Machine" story.
Ever notice how every American cop's always like, "I'm the ONLY person to EVER successfully do *insert something here*"??
Everything is a record or has to be over the top.
0:14 ofc that’s not true. That’s NYPD’s motto 🙌🏼
Oh come on geez. Comments like this are so ignorant. It's not limited to just New York!
@ 😹👍🏼
Only for unarmed black people
Lmao too true, especially if your fare jumping
All cops.
Joe Serio is absolutely correct that the corruption of American politicians by oligarchs, both domestic and foreign, is by far the most frightening aspect of this video.
You know what else is frightening? How long I had to scroll to find someone bringing this up.
Fascinating commentary. The Vory have a terrifying and rich history.
Anyone who wants to learn more about Mafia and crime in Russia during the 90's should watch brat and brat2. They are masterpieces...
Hello from 2017
Я узнал, что у меня
Нет в России ни *уя:
Нету нефти, нету газа,
Нету золота, алмазов,
Нет свободы, правды нет,
Под угрозой интернет.
Нет дорог и автобанов,
Инноваций нету нано.
Нет науки, школы нет,
Медицине шлю привет!
А у дяди, с дружбанами
*ляди, вилы на Майами
Самолеты и заводы
Яхты, дачи, пароходы
Все что нету у меня
Все у них есть, до *уя.
Дети учатся в Сорбоннах
Деньги крутятся в Андоррах
Но сидят они в России
И радеют, каждый час
За законы, против смысла,
За откаты, за Глонас
За распил убогих пенсий
За развал полей и весей
За продажу вод и недр
За все то, чем край наш щедр!
Их себе не выбирали
И до этого не знали
Но пришли они, и вот
Все пошло "Как Бог пошлет".
russian trash. But soundtrack was good indeed.
@godfreyofbouillon966 not everyone has good taste. 😁
@@Randomnamegenerator11 Exactly. Some that dont have it, like ruski trash brat and brat2
Brat 2 is more of a director's satire on how his main character of the first movie became a national superhero in Russia then an actual portrayal of russian mafia
Hey, can you guys get a pizza delivery expert on to rate some pizza delivery scenes from adult movies? I really need to know which ones are the most accurate.
Thanks!
They can get one in 30 minutes or it’s free.
this "expert" is full of crap...
Stle his car???? nooo, it was about the dog
Not a movie, but I wish they had covered GTA IV. Brother will suffice since the earlier part of the game takes inspiration from Brother and its sequel.
Fun fact about GTA 4 that main character looks like Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov in movie "Behind enemy line"
Real Russian mobsters certainly don't line up by the hundreds just to be shot by John Wick, let alone hand their guns over to him via hand-to-hand combat as soon he runs out of ammunition.
Brother is one of my utmost favourite movies of all time! Really cool that you guys included it in your list.
This movie really depicts the 90s in Russia.
After decades in modern Russia it is difficult to draw a line between former 90s gangsters, ex-KGBs and the authorities
That knife(Eastern Promises bath house) is just a random improvised weapon. It is a carpet/vinyl knife you can get at a hardware store for $10
Damn even a clip from russian movie "Brat" (Brother) and he talks about "Brigada". The guy knows his stuff for sure.
If he knew it all, he'd point out that the "Chechnyan" boss was not speaking Chechnyan
@dontcallmezoo why would he point that out? Its a movie. He also didnt point out they were speaking english in most these Russian mafia movies. Why? Because their movies.
Took me by surprise, didn’t expect to see it. Now I just wish the segment on brigade was longer, but it seems he just brought it up himself, they didn’t prepare it?
Бригада is probably one of my favorite Russian Mob, fictional pieces of media. Such a classic. I always wished they made a sequel...There's another show/series, that I can't remember the name of, it was really good. I just remember watching it with my family when I was younger...I'll ask them, I'm sure they remember. It was on the same level.
@@BigBear-- Banditskiy Peterburg (Outlaw Petersburg) miniseries, 2000?
I need to check out Brigada. Sounds like it's the equivalent for Russia's scene what Gomorrah was re: Italy.
Brigade is a great series. Not too long, only 12 episodes if I remember correctly. Although You might have problems with finding it available with English subtitles, let alone voiceover.
I think it is available in english somehow, cause you can find it under the english title of: Law Of The Lawless.
"Gomorra" is about Naples. A very specific type of crime.
@@piergiorgioscollo7163What does location have do with a specific crime?
Советую лучше ознакомиться с сериалом Бандитский Петербург, 1 и 2 сезоны. Намного правдоподобнее и реалесичнее Бригады.
Exceptionally well done! Obviously this 'Expert' is very experienced and his analysis seems very logical and flows easily. I think he really knows what he's talking about.
How could you not have him react to The Machine? ;-)
I love that movie eastern promises. I love the fact at the end it turns out he was an undercover FSB operative.
Excellent video thank you.
Worth to mention another good mini series: “The Boy’s word: Blood on the Asphalt”. Mini series released about year ago. About teenagers gangs in Kazan in 1980s.
Я всем рекомендую посмотреть фильмы Брат и Брат 2. Легендарный Балабанов был мастер в своем жанре
One thing you failed to mention or differentiate, is that there are effectively two forms of organized Russian crime. The Thieves which you mention, but there are also the Bratki/Bratva (brothers/brotherhood, the title of the movie "Brother" is an allusion to this). Bratki is very similar to conventional mafia, except that they're chock full of ex military and special forces because the 90s left so many people either out of jobs or earning unlivable salaries. This is what makes them so scary, but also why so many of them have good connections to the government. This is where that joke from Sopranos about the "interior decorator" comes from, shame you didn't cover it, the guy used to be in the Ministry of Interior Affairs aka the combined police and special forces thing. Thieves would never allow a "b*tch" (someone who served in military) into their ranks, and actually there was an event post ww2 called "the b*tch war" where guys returning from the front to finish their sentences (manpower was low, so convicts were allowed to take up arms to fight germans) would be killed en masse and they retaliated against the Thieves (the Thieves also have a strong association with Russia's neonazi culture, partially for their extreme anti-soviet/anti-government position). The Thieves in general are a very anarchist, weirdly in a very modern sense, loose coalition of individuals or small gangs where the Thieves In Law serve as arbirtrers to settle disputes as well as the keepers of the Obshak, rather than outright leaders.
Most of what you'd see in media would be Bratki, but sometimes it gets mixed around a lot, even though the two styles are very distinct and have historically been at each others' throats.
22:18 - This. This is real talk.
1:10 Интересно, по какой татуировке он подумал, что тот "сидел" в Сибири? )
Вообще слабо представляю такую ситуацию, чтобы на короновании сидели и изучали татуировки
There is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores in my hometown. In the span of five years, they went from 3-4 store fronts to near ubiquity. I can't even guess how many locations they have. Many are within literal sight of each other.
These stores not only sell fuel (almost always undercutting competition by a few cents per gallon) and the regular quickie mart sodas/beers/smokes - but also prepaid cellphones, glass pipes/hookahs, etc.
They are owned by Kazakh and Azerbaijani immigrants, I believe. Definitely, former Soviet Republic, but not ethnic Russian.
I have no direct knowledge of anything illegal or nefarious. If it were a simple mom and pop operation with a couple of storefronts, I would say that it's just the American immigrant dream at work.
But, their quick rise, the slight but noticeable price advantage, and the slightly shady merchandising, all hint to me that there is something behind it.
Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I am. I'm a sucker for a feel good immigrant story. But, their stores give me the creeps.
17:50 "A hundred percent. Nine out of ten"
you should have done little Odessa, thats the best russian mafia movie ever
4:14 Viggo has a very heavy accent. I’m native Russian, if it wasn’t for subtitles, I wouldn’t understand what he said. The other actor was a native Russian. I understood him perfectly. But Viggo - no. Bravo for making the effort, but his Russian is not that good, sorry to say.
good vid, bet you got plenty storys, would have loved to see your take on red heat
Nobody was the 1st movie I saw after theatres opened back up 2021 and it was the PERFECT flick after not seeing any for a year. Best part is Christopher Lloyd, he clearly had a blast doing that part.
‘Eastern Promises’ is a masterpiece in truly a 5 star movie
You should have historians or mob experts do a reaction video to the episode about prohibition from the RUclips channel Oversimplified. It’s a funny yet memorable take on history.
Baba Yaga (Baba Roga) is Slavica folklor, not limited to just Ukraine and Russia.
To me the Russian and eastern european crime syndicates are by far the most interesting ones to me, outside my own country ofcourse.
Is there a crime syndicate in Finland?
@@mercilesspigthey called eco-activists
@@mercilesspig Well yeah the numerous biker gangs that used to control the drug trade in Finland. The Finnish criminal organizations would probably not be interesting to foreigners, but to me they are.
This episode is absolutely outstanding.
What about the Bumer? For BMW 7 with 4 badits. You're right, Brat 1 is really the essence of 90's!
Insanely a childhood friend had a cousin that got caught up in a Russian fight syndicate in the U.S. 20 or so years ago. Was a 6 foot tall farmboy that weighed 160 dripping wet and then they gave him steroids. Didn't see him for a few years and then Timmy was damn near 250 scary looking as f with scars eveywhere..
Thank you
I was hoping that clips from The Machine would be included, even though it's a wacky comedy lol
Surprizingly quite correct comments...
Brother is such a great movie. Glad is was included.
The FSU in the 90s was insane
100%, all legit, 9/10??! Tf does this dude need for a 10, an actual russian mobster crawling out of the tv like some sort of horrific The Ring scenario to extort somebody?
The Brother is goated!
The sequel is actually set in the US))
This dude is the real deal!!! When he gave a 10 out of 10 to “Brat” & mention “Brigada” - I knew this guy was certified!!
Yep! Those are definitely deep cuts for a non-russian to know about. Wonder if he ever checked out Banditsky Peterburg? It's another great series on organized crime, though also from the law enforcement perspective. While it's fantasy, it still had a lot of great moments, and somewhat realistic scenarios, characters, concepts, etc.
So glad you reviewed Brat! I was wondering. It's nice to see you consume Russian media on this as well. A lot of interesting detective and crime shows.
I was hoping for episodes of "Arrow."
same like how he got to be a member and that got forgotten too
When the Equalizer walks in the room they call him dedushka, grandpa in Russian.
No one's going to mention the Russian mr. Bean guy at 7:55?
Can you guys do next a video of a rugby player breaking down rugby films/series?
Can we ask him if Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine” story is real?
If you want some more good films about Russian mobsters, watch “Жмурки”it’s literally the Russian Lock, stock and 2 smoking barrels, a black comedy, or “Бумер”, a great film too