Before the Ukraine war, Wildberries was a giant of e-commerce. Now it’s caught up in a medieval blood feud
When a business in Russia reaches a certain size, its owners often consider it prudent to seek a krysha – a protector*.* The concept of a krysha, which literally means “roof”, became widespread during the 1990s when predatory gangs would demand that nascent capitalist enterprises pay them protection money. As time passed the gangs realised it was in their interests for these businesses to flourish, and they became more like patrons, helping their clients manage state bureaucracy and out-manoeuvre rivals. After Putin took control of the country the idea of a krysha changed slightly, to refer more to someone with close ties to the Kremlin. Nowadays big companies will typically call in a krysha if they’re facing trouble with regulators or looking for help repelling a hostile takeover.