“Gangster Petersburg-98” is a series of essays devoted to the nature of Russian gangsterism in its formation and development, written in a lively and engaging manner, including both excursions into history and interviews with modern “criminal characters.” A. Konstantinov demonstrates a deep knowledge of the material, but he is driven not simply by the cold interest of the researcher. The author is concerned about the abnormal situation that has created in our society and is trying, together with the reader, to find ways out of it. Unlike ordinary crime, which counteracts the state institutions of society, organized crime, attacking society, uses these institutions for its own purposes. Aulov N. N., Head of the Department for Combating Criminal Communities of the RUOP for St. Petersburg and the Region under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.