The problem of Russian organized crime has increasingly attracted attention of scholars, practitioners and media. However, there is still lack of the sound theoretical and conceptual framework and classification of this phenomenon. Based on the analysis of numerous previously unknown Russian language publications, as well as criminal and criminal justice statistics, this paper elaborates on the structure and patterns of Russian organized criminal groups in the 21st century. Furthermore, utilizing relevant sources (e.g. legal texts, Supreme Court and criminological publications), this research illustrates that legislative authorities, jurisdiction and scholars largely define and classify the current patterns of organized crime as hierarchical bureaucratic structures. The author takes a critical stance towards this concept currently prevalent in Russia, and proposes an alternative integrated model.