A formal status of criminal authority in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet states, denoting a professional criminal who follows specific traditions and holds elite status among organized crime and in prison environments. Originating in the early 20th century, thieves in law are 'crowned' through rituals and tattoos by consensus of existing Vory, and are drawn from repeatedly jailed convicts. They govern the criminal underworld within prison camps, adhering to a code that includes refusal of work and non-cooperation with authorities.
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