161 A common saying expresses the power of the Russian mafa and its abil- ity to corrupt states all over the globe: “a Mafoso is in new territory because he escapes to it. Once there, he explores local opportunities.” 1 When given the opportunity to operate, the Russian mob can prove effective and intelligent. During the height of Stalin’s rule, most of the so-called Russian mafa, organized criminal groups, were either impris- oned or killed. The fall of the Soviet Union and the weakness of govern- mental institutions allowed for a revival, one that would bring corruption into the center of Russian politics. 2 The expansion of the Russian mafa poses a real threat to already weakened democracy in Russia, fermenting a population that suffers from weak development and criminality. Instead of fghting corruption directly, the Vladimir Putin regime, in power since 2000, formulated an interesting relationship with criminal groups. In essence, criminals and legitimate businesses and investors may be able to operate in Russia free of interference from law enforcement if they pay protection money to the government, and, do not oppose or criticize the Russian government. This chapter is divided into two parts. The frst deals with the Russian mob and the second analyzes the power of Russian oligarchs in today’s global world. 3 These two entities may overlap, but must be separately discussed to understand the mechanics. Like previous chap- ters, it explores the power of cultural institutions. One such institution is referred to as krysha, translated into English literally as “roof.” In the CHAPTER 8 Russia and the International System © The Author(s) 2019 H. S. Kassab and J. D. Rosen, Corruption, Institutions, and Fragile States, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04312-4_8