Between economy and the state: Private security and rule enforcement in Russia

This article explores how the segments of the stare police and security org ans were transformed into a large private security industry in Russia after 1992. As market reforms were launched, the numbers of private property own ers grew dramatically, but the stare institutions for the protection of pro perty and dispute settlement were either absent or defunct. This gap was co nsequently filled with various private institutions, private protection com panies and private security services being the major ones. The article stud ies the context of their emergence, their functions and practices as well a s their relations with the state and the criminal sector.