Institute of Modern Russia

Corruption is a phenomenon that has become a way of life in Russia, rather than a crime. Corruption existed in Soviet Russia, but it was controlled by the state; after the collapse of the Soviet Union, though, corruption spun out of control. In modern-day Russia, almost every citizen engages in corruption activities at some point in his or her life. The higher the position one holds in Russia, the larger the bribes are. Laundered money originating from high-scale corruption cases is usually transferred across borders to foreign banks. This research paper analyzes corruption among high officials using the case study of Leonid Reiman, a former minister of telecommunications in Russia, who was reportedly involved in the large-scale offshore telecom corruption case.