Organized crime in Russia is widespread, exerting control over a majority of the country's enterprises and banks, yielding an extremely high profit. Organized crime associations perform many of the traditional functions of courts and law enforcement agencies, as they engage in such functions as enforcing arbitration rulings, providing protection, and collecting debts. Socioeconomic conditions in Russia make it ripe for organized crime, given the high rate of unemployment, underemployment, and social anomie. Violence has become the most common tactic of organized crime for resolving problems and removing obstacles to expanding profit. Under the aggressive and widespread tactics of criminal organizations, Russia is moving toward a state of general criminalization. The social, economic, political, and moral condition of the country provides no basis for optimism. Domestic stability is threatened by organized crime groups that have effectively taken the reins of state leadership through their powerful influence on legitimate officials. Internationally, narcotics trade flourishes across Russian borders and compounds the country's domestic woes with growing numbers of addicts. Democracy and economic reform are jeopardized by the current state of affairs. 9 references