Gangster's Paradise

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”

Giant, engraved tombstones commemorate some of Russia's most ruthless gang members. Ekaterinburg, Russia. 23/10/2009.

Ural Mash looks like any other Soviet-planned industrial monster. What makes it unique, is its place at the centre of the Soviet military industrial complex, earning the entire Ural region, the status of being “Closed to foreigners”.

Thanks to its military industrial complex, Ural Mash did not experience the economic devastation of the 1990’s, but nevertheless, it became one of the most violent places in post-Soviet Russia. Ural Mash gained particular fame for the viciousness of its organised crime gangs and their ability to extend their tentacles across Russia and beyond.

Petty criminals kept Ekaterinburg’s residents behind locked doors while gangsters terrorised kiosk and shop owners, restaurateurs, retailers, travel agencies, basically, anybody who sparked their financial interest.

The traditional Russian Vor were completely overwhelmed by the new twenty plus gangs of youths, who, in turn, attracted the interest of larger 'big-time' criminals. Many young lives were cut short by the barrel of a gun settling business disputes.

With hindsight, the gangster culture started long before the fall of the Soviet Union, criminality officially did not exist in Soviet society as criminals who had fallen out of favour were sent to Gulags in the Urals. Upon release, the criminals founded their own communities because returning to their original homes was forbidden.

Amongst the sterile, faceless and crumbling Soviet centrally planned apartment blocks, there is an oasis of silver birch trees dotted with Russsian Orthodox crosses and Islamic moons. The old Soviet stars are slowly being replaced or just rusting away.

Russian tombstones normally have the image of the deceased etched into their surface. The more prosperous the departed, the more intricate the etching on their gravestone. Benches surround the tombs so relatives can come and pay their respects.

A special sector in the cemetery is reserved exclusively for those mafia members who did not survive Yeltsin’s years of raw capitalism. Giant tombstones rise high up through the trees with full-length etchings of the deceased, clad head to toe in 90’s Mafioso leather. The 'enforcers', the young men who were recruited from the defunct Soviet sports clubs and who carried out the orders of the leather clad on the, “legitimate Businessmen” have their "special skill", such as a judo symbol or knife expert, etched onto their tombstone.

Those who fell victim to the 'specialists' are depicted in the respectability of business suits with mobile phones attached to their ears.

Alexander Khabarov’s tomb, complete with a life sized bust, is by far the most impressive in the graveyard, codifying his status as Ural Mash’s most prominent criminal. Khabarov “committed suicide” while in prison.

Public opinion of Khabarov is still so negative, that a CCTV camera has been installed in a nearby tree to protect his bust from vandalism.

I have been informed that gangsters in Ural Mash are either abroad, enjoying the good life in London, dead or are part of legitimate business enterprises under the protection of the authorities. Apparently, “they want to have a safe life and be able to send their children to study abroad”