“In the 90s, everything turned upside down. The country had become divided into two camps: the hunters and the prey,” recalls Valery Loktionov, European Bodybuilding Champion. “Businessmen were the prey and gangsters were the hunters. Because the law didn’t work, it was the criminal leaders who were the main source of power. People came to them willingly seeking help and so did businessmen, to seek protection. If you secured protection (“крышa”) from a good gang then you didn’t have to worry much.”

3. One could make money…

The 90s was a time when many of today’s billionaires had accumulated their wealth - some cashed in on localizing foreign software or setting up the first stock exchange, while others, like the infamous Roman Abramovich, started off by selling rubber dolls or offering cashing services at a huge commission, such as the exiled Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Some even managed to use the situation to buy internationally-known Russian brands at below the market value - take Stolichnaya vodka, for instance! Yuri Shefler, who bought the brand in the 90s, has been making $500-$680 million annually, according to various estimates.