The Last Campaign Against Corruption in Soviet Moscow

Abstract

This campaign must have had something to do with the fact that a policeman was appointed First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. One of the first areas of impact when Andropov came to power was that the Kremlin identified corruption as the country's number one problem. It was very important for Andropov to prove that he could successfully handle this issue, which had become a serious threat to the Soviet political system. Still more crucial, he had to convince the nomenklatura that he was competent as the country's new boss. Moscow plays a key role: it is the first city in which one must prove oneself as General Secretary. Corruption was more rampant in the capital than elsewhere in the Russian Union Republic and those involved were highly organised and influential. Andropov relied on the best prosecutors in Moscow to launch his attack against corruption. If he was successful in the capital his support among the central nomenklatura would grow, making the offensive against corruption in the capital an example to follow for the rest of the country. Thus the policies that Andropov implemented in Moscow were part of a strategy aimed at reinforcing his authority throughout the Soviet Union. Despite an abundance of published research on corruption in the USSR, there are certain gaps, above all regarding documentation. Until now, relevant articles and publications on the topic have been primarily documented from the Soviet press. We would like to review the situation in the Moscow trade networks based mainly on the Soviet police primary sources.' In doing so, it is important to keep in mind the law enforcement agencies' weaknesses at the time. First, a tendency to exaggerate data: widespread corruption justifies an increase in the police force's resources, thus increasing its importance in the political system. However, the police might also, on occasion, choose the opposite route by underestimating the scope of criminality. Minimising economic infractions gives the impression that the law enforcement agencies are doing a good job, thus reinforcing their leaders' positions. Moreover, it is possible that the police make mistakes as to those suspected or accused. Nonetheless, studies on corruption based on material from law enforcement sources remain very valuable. So far, despite an increasing openness regarding the Soviet period, corruption in the 1980s has not yet been analysed using primary sources from law enforcement agencies. The second aspect is connected with the KGB's influence in Soviet society. One