Lyubera. From Courtyard Gangs to Criminal Brigades

This was the first alarm. Instantly, literally within a few hours, the unremarkable River Fleet badges – a flag with an image of a small boat – were bought out in all the kiosks of 'Soyuzpechat'. They were sold out completely. Soon, teenagers in wide checkered pants and dark tops began to appear on the streets of the city. And each of them wore that very badge of the River Fleet, which had already become scarce. This is how the young people marked their affiliation with the new, previously unseen grouping 'Lyubera', which united either sports fans or mischievous rowdies and hooligans who divided the entire city into districts. They created a common fund. They would turn out the pockets of drunk men at beer tents in the evening, break into newspaper kiosks, and brutally beat up capital punkers. Easy money, a sense of permissiveness, and the taste of blood intoxicated young heads. And they would have lived in their colorful world, satisfied with free change and the admiration of girls, if one day they hadn’t caught the attention of dangerous and seasoned criminal authorities…