The Visual Encyclopedia of Russian Prison Tattoos


Custom Tattoos Of Russia's Criminals & Prisoners By Sergei Vasiliev

Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volumes I, II and III offer not only a visceral record of this intersection, but also Baldayev's aambitious effort to, through text and illustrations, parse the meaning of these tattoos and place them in the context of this fiercely self-contained subculture. (Or, as it were, institution-contained as well.)


Decoding Russian criminal tattoos in pictures Art and design The Guardian

In Russian criminal jargon or Fenya (феня), a full set of tattoos is known as frak s ordenami (a tailcoat with decorations). The tattoos show a "service record" of achievements and failures, prison sentences and the type of work a criminal does.


Russian criminal tattoos breaking the code Photography The Guardian

This unique archive is an exhaustive collection of drawings, photographs and documents relating to the codes and practices of the Russian Criminal Tattoo. All images © FUEL.


russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume I Highlights

The designs of Russian prison tattoos include elaborate religious scenes that denote if the wearer is a legitimate thief, stars that denote a criminal leader, elaborate codes in multiple languages, and images of defiance against prison authority. A trained observer can tell everything about a Russian prisoner by their tattoos.


Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Uncrate

"Russian Criminal Tattoo Police Files," a collection of Bronnikov's photographs accompanied by translated text from his reports, is available as a book through FUEL, and is currently on view at.


russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume I Highlights

Russian Criminal Tattoo Police Files, published by FUEL, is probably the largest collection of prison tattoo photographs to date, at 256 pages. In the 1930s, Russian criminal castes began to emerge, such as the Masti (suits) and the Vor v Zakone (rus.


Russian Criminal Tattoos

1. 'Onion' domes Natalya Nosova This is one of the most widespread tattoo designs that is easily recognizable in the Russian criminal underworld. Only a convict who has served his time can.


RussianCriminalTattoobySergeiVasiliev18 Design tattoo, Mauvais garçons, Prisonnier

01/08/2023 Russian criminal tattoos have a strong cultural and aesthetic significance. Crude, bold and often frightening, these hand poked black and white images also bound to a specific symbolic system. Since the early years of the 20th-century prison tattoos in the Soviet Union indicate criminal career and rank.


Decoding Russian Prison Tattoos The New Yorker

The book tattoo on the stomach is the Criminal Code of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The tiger is a 'grin' to authority - a sign of aggression Tattoos in the traditional.


The Visual Encyclopedia of Russian Prison Tattoos

Russian Criminal Tattoo Police Files, published by FUEL, is probably the largest collection of prison tattoo photographs to date, at 256 pages. I got in touch with Damon Murray, co-founder of.


Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia, Volume III by Sergei Vasiliev (English) H 9780955006197

Russian prison tattoos are a unique form of body art with a long and storied history. These tattoos were originally used to convey information about an individual's criminal past, including their rank, status, and affiliations. However, over time, these tattoos have taken on a life of their own, developing intricate designs and meanings that.


Russian Criminal Tattoo Police Files Highlights

Soviet prison tattoos hid a rich and elaborate visual language, revealing everything from an inmate's rank to their conviction. A study of prisoners' body art revealed cryptic symbols, recurring motifs, and unwritten laws known only to those on the inside.


Decoding Russian criminal tattoos in pictures Art and design The Guardian

Here are 12 Russian prison tattoos and their perceived meanings. Thieves' stars (Photo History Channel/YouTube) Depending on the location on the body, the stars convey a prisoner's status. When worn on the knees, the stars are a sign of a prisoner who commands respect. The implied meaning is "I will never get on my knees in front of anyone."


The Secret Meanings Behind Russian Prison Tattoos

To address that gap, this article analyzes "Russian criminal tattoos" in light of classic conceptions of tattoos—namely those of Darwin, Durkheim, and Lombroso. The benefits of the analysis include (1) an expanded conception of what tattoos symbolize from Darwinian and Durkheimian perspectives and (2) the formation of a simple but comprehensive typology of what criminals' tattoos.


Secret meanings of Russian prisoner tattoos BBC Culture

These photographs of Russian prisoners tattoos were collected by Arkady Bronnikov from the mid-1960s­ to mid-1980s. A senior expert in criminalistics at the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs for over thirty years, part of his duties involved visiting correctional institutions of the Ural and Siberia regions. More Sergei Vasiliev


Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume II Highlights

Photographs of tattooed Soviet prisoners, held in police files until now, are about to be published for the first time. BBC Culture decodes the body art.