Prostitution in Russia
is
illegal, but is not a serious crime. The maximum punishment
is a
fine up to 2000
rub; however, organizing prostitution is
punishable by a prison term.
Historic overview
Prostitution in Russia became common after
Peter The Great's military reforms that
created a sizable class of unmarried men who were serving in
military. These soldiers started generating a demand for
prostitution.
Monarchs who followed Peter I, had different approaches to
prostitution, ranging from complete abolition to
decriminalization.
By the
late 19th century, prostitution was legal in the Russian Empire
. Numerous brothels existed in most cities,
ranging greatly in class and prices. Customer included diverse
groups ranging from aristocracy to working class. Legally, only
women were allowed to own brothels. However, illegal street
prostitution was still dominated by male pimps. The term
kot ( , cat) was used for a male pimp, while female pimp
was referred to as
bandersha ( ).
Prostitution has been illegal in Russia since
the establishment of the Soviet Union
. However, during the post-Soviet years this
industry experienced significant growth.
"Tochka"
"Tochka"
(точка) is a popular euphemism for an
outdoor market for prostitutes in
Moscow
and other large Russian cities, a
word literally meaning 'point' or 'location' in Russian. (The word
"tochka" may also be used in many other contexts. Its usage is
originated from the notion "a point on the
map".
Initially it was used in military and geologist slang to denote,
e.g., a military or geologist base or other specific location. Over
time its usages was expanded. For example, in alcoholics' parlance,
a "tochka" is a place where
vodka is
sold.)
Some women are forced to work as sex slaves.
The decomposing bodies
of 30 females were found in Russian town of Nizhny Tagil
. They were kidnapped by a gang and murdered
for refusal to work as prostitutes according to investigators
Moscow city government actions
The Moscow
city government has made many noticeable attempts to eliminate
prostitution in Russia and there is
serious jail time for prostitution to eliminate these markets,
other than to eliminate some of the more obvious points along
Tverskaya
, Moscow's main avenue. Tochkas are
controlled by organized criminal gangs that
bribe local police departments in order to remain in
business. Instead, the city police randomly check the documents of
women traveling alone after dark. For this reason, prostitutes
often carry a hundred rubles with which to bribe the police.
Child prostitution, forced prostitution, and the trafficking of
women
A 2006 report by
World Vision Middle
East/Eastern Europe funded by the Canadian government and supported
by six
United Nations agencies and
the
International
Organization for Migration reported that the sexual
exploitation of children, child trafficking and sexual violence
towards minors is increasing and that Russia is becoming a new
destination for child sex tourism.
The report adds that some studies claim
approximately 20 per cent to 25 per cent of Moscow's sex
workers are minors.
Russia is a major source of women trafficked globally for the
purpose of sexual exploitation . Russia is also a significant
destination and transit country for persons trafficked for sexual
and labor exploitation from regional and neighboring countries into
Russia, and on to the
Persian Gulf
states,
Europe,
Asia,
and
North America.
Annually, thousands of
Russian women end up as prostitutes in China
, Japan
or South Korea
. Bars in major Chinese cities now offer blond,
blue-eyed Russian "hostesses," while in Tokyo
, Russian
girls are the latest addition to the menu in fancy "hostess"
bars. In Tel Aviv
the number of brothels has skyrocketed in five
years from 30 to 150—largely because of an influx of Russians into
Israel
. .
In
Dubai
, United Arab Emirates, Russian women make up most
of the prostitutes in the country. Thousands of Russian
women (not all of them from Russia - many come from other, poorer,
former Soviet republics) prostitute in Dubai.
The
ILO estimates that 20 percent of the five
million
illegal immigrants in
Russia are victims of forced labor, which is a form of trafficking.
There were reports of trafficking of children and of child sex
tourism in Russia. The Government of Russia has made some effort to
combat trafficking but has also been criticized for not complying
with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking.
A large
case of forced prostitution and mass murder was uncovered in 2007
near the industrial town of Nizhny Tagil. A gang of pimps had abducted girls and
forced them to work as prostitutes in their brothel, killing the
ones who refused. A mass grave with up to 30 victims was found.
(See:
Nizhny Tagil
mass murder .)
References
- Over four years Urals gang killed 30 women taken
for a 'picnic', by Tom Parfitt, February 11, 2007,
Guardian Unlimited
- Nyet to Trafficking
- With Prostitution Booming, Legalization Tempts
Russia
- Prostitution in Russia
- Russia's sex slave industry thrives, rights groups
say
- Moscow targets sex trade at last
- Authorities turn blind eye on Far East Russia women
trafficking
- Johanna Granville, "From Russia without Love: The 'Fourth Wave' of
Global Human Trafficking," Demokratizatsiya, vol. 12, no. 1
(winter 2004): pp. 147-155.
- Sex worker on trial for abortion
- Russian girls trapped in sex-slave nightmare
- Police bring home 3 sex slaves from China
- The Skin Trade
- Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery
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