Bandits and thieves were known before communism already in Russian Empire. Such as a Vor legend is about thief-fraudster Ivan "Vanya Kain" Osipov - was born in 1718, who started as a small thief. Then later after moving to Moscow and engaged into robberies with other known bandits and thieves, after that he manipulated the government in stating that he knows other thieves and robbers. In reality he was extorting other thieves and robbers, to not give them out to the officials. Only giving out the small fish. Basically, he managed to influence and push under other criminals based around Moscow back in that time, creating his own criminal empire. After some time his scheme was discovered and he was sent off to prisons in Rogevrik and later Siberia.

Vory V Zakone are stated to form in 1930's in Gulags and Prisons located around Russian territory at that time. They were formed between different types of professional criminals who at that time were imprisoned:
1) "Kvartirnie" - those who stole from apartments/houses
2) "Gorodushniki" - those who robbed stores
2) "Medvezhatniki" - Professional safe crackers
4) "Maidanshiki" - Fraudsters

Crime groups in Russia were known to be there before. Vory V Zakone just came in the middle and somewhat took over all of them and formed a path and codex to follow for other criminals in USSR. However near to 1990's and during them their influence dropped and other type of crime groups came along.