(FORTUNE Magazine) – The people shown here are homeless Soviets -- or bomzhi, as they are called -- begging on a Moscow street and sleeping at a railroad station. Two years ago Radio Moscow, freed by glasnost to discuss such matters, reported there were 1.5 million bomzhi in Russia. Their numbers have grown since then. Who are they? Alcoholics? Veterans of the Afghan war? Some are certainly country folk, looking for work in a city where housing isn't available, despite a constitutional guarantee of a home for everyone. Nor are there jobs. - R.J.