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Perhaps because generations of living under bureaucratic despots has ingrained reflexive theft & fraud into the depths of the Russian soul?
When rules are arbitrary, pointless, or unfair, one learns contempt for rules. That unthinking "the rules don't apply to me" attitude that one sees on every ulitsa and pedestrian crosswalk in Russia (where the authorities haven't given up and installed perihods, that is) has translated into a certain agressive approach to capitalism. Which is the polite way of saying that when a Russian wants to do business with me, I keep a tight hand on my wallet. At least until we've sat down and drunk a few bottles of vodka together....
The fact that it's essentially impossible to sue a Russian for breach of contract or anything else, does not help.
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