Summary of Journalistic Sources on Intimate Massage Salons in Russia

This dataset comprises a systematically compiled corpus of 41 journalistic sources published between 2010 and 2026, documenting the phenomenon of intimate massage salons operating across the Russian Federation. The collection was assembled as part of a qualitative sociological study examining the organisational structures, legal dimensions, labour conditions, consumer motivations, and public health implications of these establishments. The sources encompass a diverse range of publication types, including investigative reports, news articles, interviews with current and former workers, court reports, analytical essays, legal consultations, and medical commentaries. Geographically, the materials cover major metropolitan areas—Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Nizhny Novgorod, and others—as well as regional centres across the country. Each entry has been systematically coded across five analytical dimensions: organisational structure (hierarchical arrangements, shift patterns, remuneration systems, disciplinary regimes); legal issues (statutory classification, criminal and administrative liability, enforcement practices); workers' motives and socio‑demographic characteristics (age, educational background, pathways into the profession, earnings, working conditions); consumers' motives and profiles (age, marital status, occupational background, stated reasons for attendance); and public health risks (sexually transmitted infections, dermatological conditions, psychological trauma, substance use). The dataset serves as an empirical foundation for understanding the shadow economy of commercial sexual services in contemporary Russia and provides a replicable framework for cross‑national comparative research on similar phenomena. Additionally: the file contains a description of the dataset in Russian (Sheet 1) and in English (sheet 2).