To international observers, Russia’s ruling party might appear to be a typical political organization. But in fact, there is a deep connection between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political party, United Russia, and organized crime. The party has become riddled with corruption and lawlessness, and the way to fortune and unbridled power in Russia today is to curry favor with the party, where high-level political appointments inevitably lead to access to wealth through criminal and kleptocratic networks.
United Russia emerged shortly before the 1999 parliamentary elections. It was then a political movement called Unity, and Russian oligarchs actively supported it from the start. Unity won a majority of seats in the State Duma in the 1999 elections, and in 2001, the movement was converted into a party and changed its name to United Russia.
