While gangster shootouts have made the headlines, the overwhelming majority of cases result from domestic confrontations, drunken fights and other traditional causes, according to Igor Tsirulnikov, a police spokesman.
"Ninety percent of all murders are domestic fights," he said, "such as a husband against wife or vice versa, a son killing his mother, mother against son, fellow drinkers against each other, and so on."
"The so-called mafia is responsible for only 10 percent of the killings," he added.
Even if a relative minority, it is the gangland murders which have sent shivers down the spines of many Muscovites in recent months.
In January, for example, 10 people traveling in a van were killed when they were fired on with sub-machine guns from a passing car. The murderers picked up the bodies in broad daylight and burned them in a forest nearby, police said. Officials said the incident was a gang fight.
In March, seven people died when rival gangs started a shootout at a Moscow restaurant in a turf dispute.
In April, professionals were said to be responsible for the death of Otari Kvantrishvili, a reputed mafia godfather.
On other occasions, murders have singled out famous targets. In April, for example, a paid assassin set his sights on Andrei Aizderdzis, 35, a State Duma deputy who died outside his home. An outraged parliament called for the resignation of the interior minister. And in February, gunmen shot Sergei Dubov, a publisher known for bringing Alexander Solzhenitsyn's works to Russia.
"Criminals have become more brutal and less human," said Tsirulnikov. "If before criminals would stop before murder because they knew they would be caught, now people have overcome this fear and will kill."
The wave of killings has made Moscow one of the world's most murderous cities. In Chicago, for example, the metropolis with which Moscow is often compared, 1,027 people were murdered during 1991.
Yet Moscow does lag behind New York City, where just under 2,000 people died in 1992, according to FBI statistics.
Murders have sharply risen in Moscow since the late 1980s. In 1992, 886 people were killed during the entire year, just a little more than the half-year statistics for 1994. By contrast, in 1988, 239 were murdered, according to police statistics.
In Russia as a whole, 29,213 murders were recorded in 1993, compared with 23,006 in 1992 and 16,122 in 1991, according in Interior Ministry figures.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.