Part 6/9:
Yet amidst such desperation, a warped version of freedom began to unfurl. The suffocating restrictions of the KGB loosened, granting people opportunities to start businesses, listen to rock music in underground venues, and express themselves without fear of reprisal – albeit amid the constant threat of violence. Beneath the surface, however, the landscape remained menacing as gangs solidified power and territory. Prominent among those gangs was the Svskaya Bratva operating in Moscow, which functioned with high-level organization akin to a corporation, casting a dark shadow over the new socio-economic structure of Russia.