Putin and the St Petersburg Gang

The political landscape of contemporary Russia is deeply rooted in the social and criminal dynamics of Saint Petersburg during the late 20th century. According to analysis by journalist Dmitriy Zapolsky and reports on the city’s criminal history, the rise of President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle—often referred to as the Petersburg gang—is closely tied to the city’s transformation into a center of corruption and organized crime during the 1990s.

This network of allies, known as The St. Petersburg guys, is described as having implemented a mafia-style hierarchy within the Kremlin after taking control of Russia’s national resources. This transition from regional influence to national power is characterized as a process of turning the Russian state into a large-scale criminal organization.

The Role of Organized Crime in Saint Petersburg

Central to the criminal environment of Saint Petersburg was the Tambovskaya Bratva, a large gang founded in 1987 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). The organization was allegedly established in 1988 by Vladimir Kumarin and another individual from Saint Petersburg, though Kumarin has denied these claims. The group originally recruited members from sportsmen and individuals of Tambov origin, initially focusing on protection rackets.

The Tambovskaya Bratva expanded its activities into a wide array of criminal enterprises, including:

• Contract killing and extortion
• Drug trafficking, specifically the trafficking of Colombian narcotics through the Leningrad sea port to Europe
• Money laundering and loan sharking
• Prostitution and bootlegging
• Robbery, theft, and construction management

The gang’s influence was marked by violent conflicts, such as a bloody armed clash in 1989 with the Malyshevskaya OGG, another leading criminal group in Leningrad. The struggle for control over the sea port was supported by Viktor Ivanov, who had strong links to the Tambov Gang and supported Vladimir Kumarin’s operations.

Integration of Intelligence and Crime

The intersection of state security and organized crime was a defining feature of this era. Reports indicate that Gennady Petrov and Vladimir Kumarin maintained close ties to the KGB starting in the late 1980s. This overlap between intelligence services and criminal organizations provided a foundation for the power structures that later emerged in the Russian government.

The transition of these figures from the regional level to the national stage occurred as the presidency of Boris Yeltsin declined in the late 1990s. By 1999, Vladimir Putin emerged as the prime minister, bringing with him the influence and protection of the Saint Petersburg network.

The Transformation of the Russian State

The influence of the Petersburg gang extended beyond simple criminal activity, evolving into a systemic governance style. Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, these allies exerted influence both domestically and abroad, suppressing opposition and consolidating control over national resources.

From stealing national resources to implementing a mafia-style hierarchy within the Kremlin, both Putin’s rise and Russia’s downfall can be traced back to a single point of origin: the city of Saint Petersburg.

Dmitriy Zapolsky, Putinburg

This structural shift is viewed as the formative period of the current regime, where the methods of the Saint Petersburg criminal underworld—corruption, violence, and loyalty to a tight-knit circle—were integrated into the official mechanisms of the state.