A shade of pandemic (COVID-19) in the criminalization of Russian society

Any processes causing changes in society cannot be left without the study of their criminological component. Crime is a changeable phenomenon that depends on socio-economic processes in society. Many criminologists have predicted the development of crime in society during the pandemic period, but not all predictions were correct. The aim of the current research: on the basis of the official data on crime in Russia to analyze the criminalization of Russian society in the conditions associated with the introduction of restrictive measures in the country in 2020. Research methods: analysis, synthesis, deduction, comparative legal method, formal legal method, statistical method. Research result: analysis of official data on the crime rate in Russia during the pandemic period caused by the spread of corona virus infection (COVID-19), which showed a decrease in the number of crimes of general criminal nature. Qualitative characteristics of crime show the transformation of crime and the increase in crimes committed with the use of information and telecommunication technologies by 73.4 %, including the use of Internet - by 91.3 %, the use of cell phones - by 88.3 %. The criminalization of the Russian society in conditions of COVID-19 pandemic has shown that new forms of counteraction both at legislative level and in law enforcement are required.