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In the 1930s, Russian criminal castes began to emerge, such as the Masti (suits) and the Vor v Zakone (rus. Вор в Законе) or Blatnye (authoritative thieves), and with that a tattoo culture to define rank and reputation. Up until World War II, any tattoo could denote a professional criminal, the only exception being tattoos on sailors. [1]
These criminal elites often conveyed their status through complicated tattoos, symbols still used by Russian mobsters. [ 9 ] After Hitler 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II , Stalin recruited more men to fight for the nation, offering prisoners freedom if they joined the army.
Russian criminal tattoos have a complex system of symbols that can give quite detailed information about the wearer. Not only do the symbols carry meaning, but the area of the body on which they are placed may be meaningful too. The initiation tattoo of a new gang member is usually placed on the chest and may incorporate a rose.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/GettyIt was a cold winter morning in Moscow in the late 2000s. At the southern end of the Slavyanskaya Square, in front of the giant ...
Tattoos on the back of a Dead Man Incorporated gang member. Prison tattooing is the practice of creating and displaying tattoos in a prison environment. Present-day American and Russian prisoners may convey gang membership, code, or hidden meanings for origin or criminal deeds. Lack of proper equipment and sterile environments lead to health ...
The Solntsevskaya gang was founded in the late 1980s by Sergei Mikhailov, a former waiter who had served a prison term for fraud.Based in the Solntsevo District of Moscow, the gang recruited local unemployed, aggressive young men as foot soldiers and also made use of thief in law Dzhemal Khachidze to enhance their reputation amongst established criminals.
Tattoos are strongly associated with deviance, personality disorders and criminality. [119] [120] Although the general acceptance of tattoos is on the rise in Western society, they still carry a heavy stigma among certain social groups. [121] Tattoos are generally considered an important part of the culture of the Russian mafia. [122]
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