You may not know or care much about the Russian mob right now, but as Oscar night approaches, I can guarantee you’ll be hearing more about them. That’s largely because of Viggo Mortensen’s stunning, Best Actor-nominated performance as Nikolai in Eastern Promises, in which he plays the henchman of a Russian mobster who favors him over his own son. It’s harrowing, bloody and surprising, and features some very affecting scenes of Viggo receiving the intricate tattoos that bind him to the Russian mob for life. The tattoos reveal his background, beliefs and criminal history, becoming a coded language all their own, which only a special few can read.
Even if we can’t understand what they mean, though, we can appreciate their strange beauty. I find these pictures are gritty, but affecting.
(Thanks to EnglishRussia for the link.)
If anyone has any theories as to their meanings, please chime in! I’ve heard that tattoos of Lenin or Stalin are supposed to be protective, in some talismanic way, and representations of dangerous animals attest to the dangerousness of their owner.
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I’ve heard it’s not so much what the tattoos are as where they are. What I think is interesting is that criminals may be forcibly tattooed on the forehead or another public area with an embarrassing (or pornographic) image, and then are forced to pay the tattooist.
posted by Sophia on 2-8-2008 at 9:44 am
Wikipedia actually has a decent list of meanings (Wikipedia listing Criminal_Tattoo).
I’ve seen an episode of “Taboo” on National Geographic that interviews some researchers about Russian Prison Tattoos and it seems to be on re-runs every now and then.
If you’re really interested, there is actually a book called “Russian Prison Tattoo Encylopedia” by Danzig Baldaev, ISBN 0-9550061-2-0.
There’s even a documentary called “Mark of Cain – On Russian Criminal Tattoos” available on DVD.
posted by psychocellochica on 2-8-2008 at 10:11 am
have no idea what any of them mean, but the pose in the second picture is.teh.hawt!
posted by Shelly on 2-8-2008 at 10:30 am
Russian prisoners would get tattoos of Stalin and Lenin on their chest because they figured firing squad members would not be willing to shoot their images and would aim for a spot where the prisoner stood a better chance of survival.
A butterfly on your chest was good to have too because it meant you were a good escape partner. Often escaping prisoners would bring along a “cow” which is another prisoner that they would kill and eat if they could not find any other food but a butterfly meant immunity from that fate.
posted by Patrick on 2-8-2008 at 11:02 am
What’s so “hawt” about pic #2? He’s smelling his own armpit.
posted by Byrd Dawg on 2-8-2008 at 11:26 am
Ransom-
You always have the most interesting subject matter in your postings! Please continue your eclectic tastes.
I am a huge fan!
Thanks…
posted by maxvelvet on 2-8-2008 at 12:34 pm
“Russian Criminal Tattoo” by Danzig Baldaev is one of the most fascinating and engaging reads you’ll find on the subject. Explains all you would ever want to know about the meaning of the tattoos and why they are associated with the modern-day mob.
posted by pearly on 2-8-2008 at 1:07 pm
coming back from seeing this movie at the theatre, I hastened to the computer to research them. SO fascinating. Anyways, there’s a wikipedia entry, but I’m not entirely sold on it’s accuracy. I’m definitely hoping to get “Russian Criminal Tattoo” though, I’ve heard good things about it.
posted by marianne on 2-8-2008 at 6:33 pm
I know a few of them, I think.The spider in its web means sme kind of drug addiction and the cathedral or church the number of domes represent the number of prison sentences or years incarcerated, i believe.
posted by CEBEP on 2-20-2008 at 8:31 pm
That final picture, with the man with the cat on the left and the face with the man with the beard means the man gets sexually molestered in prison. A bearded mans face represents a ‘front bum’ and is used to indicate he is sexually abused in prison.
Nice post.
posted by Aussie Daniel on 3-12-2008 at 7:02 am
this is regarding the comment posted by Aussie Daniel on 3-12-2008. the “bearded man” is lenin it this tattoo protected the prisoner from being shot or stabbed in that area of the body (in this case its over the heart of the prisoner). also the cat means that the man was/ is a thief.
posted by Tim on 6-1-2008 at 4:43 am
Tim had a point there
i have 6 cats on me
they Call me Kash
i dont think this website should excist
especially EPEBAH
the eagle tattoo
vor v zakone
the cat lenin the claws the cross
the church.
posted by Armianski kash on 7-6-2008 at 4:59 pm
this photos of D.Weber,he have more pics of tattoos.
Eastern Promises i saw and i not liked but possibly this movie best of all another movies about russian mafia.
posted by Russian criminal tattoo blog on 3-6-2009 at 11:56 am
the one with the web means he has killed before
posted by marissa on 3-8-2009 at 11:24 pm
I think the most haunting aspect of the images are the men’s expressions. They appear much more vulnerable and frightened than one would expect of hardened criminals.
posted by Chris on 1-12-2010 at 9:47 am
I’m a woman in the U.S. who used to date a man from the former Soviet Union, and what is interesting is that he was surprised to find a tattoo on my hip. He pointed out that where he grew up, only criminals had them, and begged me to never get any more.
I love this post and the comments following, thanks to everybody who’s contributed! Fascinating.
posted by Anon on 1-12-2010 at 11:36 am
Could you tell me the name of this photographer please
posted by Sarah on 7-12-2010 at 4:51 am
i have researched and found that the skulls they get on their chest shows the people they have killed
the number of towers on the churches they have on their chest shows the number of times they have been in jail/prison
barbed wire across the head means that you are sentenced to life in jail with no chance or parole
and if you have a star on your knee it means you bow down to no one
posted by Kristina on 12-21-2010 at 4:10 pm
The cross on the center of the chest means that they’re a “Prince of Thieves”, or a high-ranking member of the voy, which are low-ranking members of the Russian mafia.
posted by Jane on 12-19-2011 at 10:14 pm