RUSSIAN MAFIA

These are the four groups in which the Russian Mafia is made of:

Elite group – led by a Pakhan who is involved in management, organization, and ideology. This is the highest group and it controls both the support group and security group.

Security group – is led by a sovietnik. His job is to make sure the organization keeps running and also keeps the peace between the organizations and other criminal groups and also paying off the right people. This group works with the elite group and is equal in power with the support group. It is in charge of security and intelligence.

Support group – is led by the obshchak. His job is to watch over the working unit collecting the money while supervising their criminal activities. This group works with the elite group and is equal in power with the security group. They plan a specific crime for a specialized group or choose who carries out the operation.

Working Unit – there are four avtorityets running a criminal activity in the working unit called a brigade. This is the lowest group working with only the support group. The group is involved in burglars, thieves, prostitution, extortion, street gangs, and other crimes.

All Mafias have an inner circle and the Russian one mainly consists of the Pakhan, sovietniks, obschak, and all the avtorityets. A shestyorka is not included in the inner circle as they are lowest class of criminals in the hierarchy of the bratva.

RUSSIAN MAFIA POSITIONS

Pakhan is the boss or Krestnii Otets ("Godfather") and controls everything. The Pakhan controls four criminal cells in the Working Unit through the avtorityets.

Sovietniks ("councilors") are the advisers and most close, trusted individuals to the Pakhan; similar to the consigliere in Italian-Amercian mafia crime families and Sicilian mafia clans. He watches over the action of the avtorityets to ensure loyalty and none become too powerful. Sovietniks are part of support group.

Obshchak is the bookmaker. He collects all money from avtorityets and bribes the government. An obshchak is part of the security group.

Avtorityet ("authority", "brigadier") is like a captain in charge of a small group of men; similar to caporegime in Italian-Amercian mafia crime families and Sicilian mafia clans. He gives out jobs to boyeviks ("warriors") and pays tribute to Pakhan. He runs a crew called a brigade, which is made up of five to six boyeviks and shestyorkas ("associates"). There are four avtorityets running criminal activity in the Russian bratva. Each avtorityet has earned his place by proving himself to every other criminal.

Boyeviks are similar to soldiers in Italian-American mafia crime families and Sicilian mafia clans. A boyevik is in charge of finding new guys and paying tribute up to his avtortityet. The classes of boyeviks are: kryshas (literally "roofs", "covers"), torpedos, and bykis (literally "bulls"). Kryshas are extremely violent enforcers as well as cunning individuals, often employed to protect a business from other criminal organizations. A torpedo is a contract killer or assassin. A byki is a bodyguard who protects the avtorityet. Boyeviks are also the main strike force of a bratva.

Vor (plural: vory; "thief") is an honorary title meaning to "become a made man." The honor of becoming a vor is only given when the recruit shows considerable leadership skills, personal ability, intellect, and charisma. The Pakhan, or another high-ranking member of the organization, can decide if the recruit will receive such a title. When you become a member amongst the vor world you have accept the code Vor v Zakone or "Thief Inside The Law" (compare to outlaws).

Shestyorka is an associate to the organization also called the "sixth"; similar to associates in Italian-Amercian mafia crime families and Sicilian mafia clans. They're errand boys for the organization and are the lowest rank in the Russian mafia. The sixths are assigned to some avtorityets for support. They also provide an intelligence for the upcoming "dielo" or on a certain target. They usually stay out of the main actions, although there might be exceptions depending on circumstances. During a "dielo", shestyorkas perform security functions standing on the look out (shookher, literally "danger"). Shestyorkas are usually young males up to twenty-four years of age and are vory in training, so to speak. It is a temporary position and an individual can either make it into the vor world or be cast aside. As they are earning their respect and trust in bratva, they may be performing roles of the regular boyeviks or bykis depending on the necessities and patronage of their avtorityet.

DEZHNYOV BRATVA

This particular crime organization has been around for approximately four decades, maybe more. It originated in Russia by the Dezhnyov family whom were once petty criminals until they started accepting non-relatives into their schemes. Eventually their power and fame escalated into becoming a threat to international government authorities, which forced them to migrate from country to country. Their reign is spread out in various countries, but on Built For Sin we're focused on the one in America, specifically Chicago, Illinois. Most of the members in their elite group are of Dezhnyov blood whereas the rest of the bratva are primarily fellow Russian mobsters.

Their criminal activities consist of: assassination, extortion, prostitution, arms trafficking, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, and fraud.