Major socio-economic changes in the recent decades have fueled Russian crime rates, which have more than doubled between the 1990s and 2000s.
This followed the first spike when Russia was in the cusp of transition to a market economy after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Criminologists also attribute the rise to social problems like rising alcoholism, drug addiction and the strains caused by economic difficulties.
Though Moscow is comparatively devoid of street crime along the lines of Latin American and US cities, it still is the murder capital of Europe, with a murder rate of 15.
The two recent problems are racial crime against Africans and Asians and contract killings.
These contract killings -- a 2006 study showed there were five every month -- are attributed to the reason that more businessmen and officials are saying no to corruption. Another unsubstantiated theory is the link between rising violence and the recent controversial struggle for political power, which saw Vladimir Putin step down as president and become prime minister. Those who subscribe to this theory point to the last transfer of power in 2000, which was also preceded by violence.
Image: Women hold candles and pictures of their relatives during a ceremony at the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow to mark the 5th anniversary of the hostage drama at the Nord-Ost musical.
Photograph: Maxim Marmur/AFP/Getty Images
Also see: Jessica Lal murder case
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