ON SOME FEATURES OF PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALITY EVOLVING IN PRE-REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA

Abstract

The study discusses social and economic, cultural, and political conditions affecting the for-mation and development of professional crime in pre-revolutionary Russia. The article analyzes such factors as the predominance of the rural population, the serfdom system, frightening aims of criminal punishment, etc. Features of the professional crime development as a socially dangerous phenomenon are considered. The methodological basis of the study consists of a set of general and specific scientific methods, in-cluding chronological, formal and logical, comparative, and other methods. It is concluded that special social and economic, political, cultural conditions in pre-revolutionary period Russia and the peculiarities of the state development played a crucial role in the creation of the “core” of professional criminals and functional and hierarchical system in criminal environment. Final assignment of features of criminal professionalism and evolution of professional criminality in Russia as a phenomenon happened at that period. The conclusions presented in the study can be used both for enrichment of the theory of criminologi-cal and criminal law science and for the practical activities of law enforcement authorities.