Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Pdf Download

Starting as a prison gang, the Russian Mafia is very fond of tattoos. Like the Japanese Yakuza, many, if not most members of the Russian mafia have tattoos. The tattoos are an expression of the member's acceptance and adherence to the code of the Thieves World. The tattoo can show the offense committed, number of times incarcerated or length of incarceration. Nicknames and affiliations with their Clan or group may also be present. This paper looks at some of the more common tattoos exhibited by members of Russian Organized Crime and their meanings.

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2018

Decoding

the Tattoos

of the Russian

Mafia

Gregg

W. Etter

Sr., Ed.D., StaciaN. Pottofl 8.S.,

and Victoria

Urban, B.S.

flarting as a prison gang,

the

Russian

t#fiii:" fond

of tattoos,

the Japanese Yalarza"

many, if not most members

of the Russian

mafia have

tattoos. The

tattoos

are an e.ipression

of th6

member's acceptance and

adherence to the code

of the Thieves

World. The

tattooi can show

the

offense

committed, number

oftimes incarcerated

or length

of incarceration.

Nicknames

and affiliations

with their

Clan or group

may also

present,

This

paper

looks

at some

ofthe more

common

tattoos

exhibited by members

ofRussian

Organized

Crime

and their

meanings.

Introduction

Criminal organizations

such

as the Russian

Mafia and

the Yakuza have

long

been known for their members

being

covered in tattoos denoting

various

aspects of

their

membership

in the criminal

organization. The

tattoo

has

long

been a

means

which

prison

and

law enforcement

officials

have used to identify

gang

members

and

other

criminals.

This is not a new

concept. Etter

(1995)

observed

that:

" Criminals have long used

tattoos

to identify

themselves

to each

other

and

to show

their contempt for the

rules of society."

Governments

have

also

frequently

used branding

or tattoos to identiff or punish

slaves

or criminals. For

example, in ancient

Greece,

slaves

were branded

with the

letter

delta. The

Greek

word

for slave

is doulos. In Rome,

convicted

criminals

that

had

been

sentenced to the arena

gladiators

were stamped

on their foreheads

for

easy

identification

by the centurions. In Japan

(720 A.D.), a Japanese

emperor

commuted

his cook's death sentence to having a tattoo placed

upon his face

rcher/purchase

order made

rll start

as I have

selected

voice

you. Return

this

form

,ionDepartment

Journal of Gang

Research Volume

25, Number

4, Summer,

2018

(Fellmaru

1986,

p. 16).

Branding

was

practiced

in the United

Kingdom

until 1789 as a

punishment. Convicts

who

were

spared

the death

penalty

pleading the

benefit

of clergy

were branded

the thumb

(T for Theft, F for Felon,

M for Murder)

(Old

B ailey

,2017).

Branding

was

abolished

in 1829

with the exception

of deserters

from the British

military

or naval

services.

The

practice

was abandoned altogether

in 1879

(Science

Museum,

2017).

Cox (2003) reported

that branding

as a punishment was practiced in colonial

America

prior

to the

American

Revolution

(1776-1789).

He stated

that:

"Burglary was

punished

in all the colonies

by branding

with a

capital

B in the

right hand for the

first offense,

in the

left hand

for the second,

"and if either

committed

the Lord's

Daye his

Brand shall

bee sett

his Forehead

a mark

of infamy."

In Maryland,

every county

was

ordered

to have branding

irons, with the

lettering

specifically

prescribed: SL stood

for seditious

libel

and

could be burned

on either

cheek.

M stood

for manslaughter,

T for thief,

R for rogue

or vagabond,

F for forgery.

In Maryland

and

Virginia a hog

stealer

was

pilloried

and had

his

ears

cropped.

For a second

offense

paid

treble damages

and

was

bumed with the letter

H on his forehead.

Double

punishment

if the

hog stealer

was

a slave.

The third

offense

brought death."

Burton

(2016)

found

that

branding

was used by

the

American

Army through

the Civil

War (1861-1865).

Soldiers

who had

deserted

(branded with the letter

D), were

cowards

(branded

with the

letter

C),

had

committed

theft

(branded

with

the

letter

of were

found

to be

worthless

(branded

withthe letter

W) were

branded

the

face

or hip.

France

also

practiced

the brandrng

of criminals.

Wood

(2016)

found

that:

"ln l9th-century

France,

authorities

began

to use the tattoo to mark a

different

kind of "outsider":

the criminal.

The hot iron which

had

branded

early-modern

French

criminals

was

replaced

by the more

discreet

weapon

the tattooist's

needle

in 1832.

Instead

of a generic

fleur-de-lys,

criminals

were

marked

with an individual

code

to identiff them'"

In this

article

we shall

examine

the

tattoos

of the

Russian

Mafia. We will attempt to

define and decode

these

tattoos

and show how they provide

a reflection of a

particular criminal culture

and

lifestyle. Criminal

tattoos

are important,

if only to

the

inmates.

ln their study

of prison

tattoos

as a reflection

of the criminal lifestyle,

Lozano,

Morgan,

Murray,

and

Varghese

(2011)

found

that:

Etter,

Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding

the

Tattoos

"Inmates with prison

tattoos

appeared

to harbor

gleater commitment

to the

criminal lifestyle

with an irrational

perception

of entitlement,

or sense

power, that the other

inmates...did

not demonstrate.

In addition,

inmates

with prison tattoos

tended

to blame

others

for their

involvement

in criminal

activity,

and

minimized

and

rationalized

the harm

inflicted on others

result of their

own

criminal

activities

"(p.523).

Tsarist

Times:

Branded

a Criminal

As you can

see,

Imperial

Russia was

not the only nation

to physically mark

their

convicted

criminals. Russian

uses

the Cyrillic alphabet

and

marked

its criminals

using Cyrillic letters.

Often criminals were branded

with letters or words

that

denoted

their particular

offense.

However,

sometimes

the meaning

of a particular

word

in a language

can

change.

chalidze

(1977) observed

that:

"ln previous centuries

the

Russian

word

vor,

which

now

means

'thief was

geniric term for a criminal of foreign

enemy.

Tat was the word for thief'

(p.4).

The Russian

usage

of vor as

meaning

"thief'and being

public

criminal

outcast

documented

by Baldev,

Vasilev and

Sidov

(2014) when

they

stated

that:

"The branding

of criminals,

practiced in Russia

since

ancient

times,

can

considered

another

prototype

of the

modern

criminal

tattoo.

Up until 1846,

criminals

condemned

to hard

labor were

branded

VOR

(thief). The

letters

the cheeks

and forehead

allowed

any law abiding

citizen

to recognize

convict,

even

after

they

had

served

their

term.

Brands

were often

applied

shoulder

blades

and

the right forearm.

These

were

of three

types;

the

letters

SK: SsylnoKatorzhny

(hard

labour

convict); SP:

SsylnoPoselenets

(hard

labour

deportee);

and

B: Begly

(escapee).

The letters

were

tattooed

using

metal

needles

attached

to a special

device

which

made

deep

wounds,

these

were

then

covered

with dye.

Escapees

were

branded

their

foreanns.

Ifthey

were

repeat

offenders,

a new

brand

was

applied

below

the

previous one.

1846,

whenthe

Decree

onPunishments

came

into effect,

thebrand

VOR was

replaced

with KAT, the first three letters of the word for hard labour

convict-katorzhnik.

The letter

K was

applied

to the

right cheek,

A to the

forehead,

and

T to the

left cheek.

Since

that

date,

the word

kat

has come

mean a

scoundrel

for whom

nothing

is sacred.

The decree

remained

in effect

up until 1863.

These

lifelong marks

on the body and

face of hard

labour

convicts

can

considered

the

earliest

symbols

of membership

in the

world

,-l

;

)

lls

ito

the

ile,

Journal of Gang Research Volume

25, Number4, Summer,2018

of outcasts:

the first criminal

tattoos.

Though

forcibly

applied,

they never

the

less began

to function

caste

markings

" (p.21).

(Drawings

by Victoria Urban)

ffi,i&

-\-- j I yl \l

i'rr, F A

I '".. ',/ 1

i'"-/.\

1 '"-'-*u':r {

Interestingly,

some

Russian

inmates in the Soviet system

(1918-1991)

began to

tattoo criminal symbols

from Tsarist times on themselves to show

their

own

views

of their criminality and assert

their authority as experience

criminals

(Baldev,

Vasilev

and

Sidov,

2014,p.268).

Soviet

Times

and the

Gulag

After 1918, the newly formed Union

of Soviet Socialist

Republics formed a

prison

system.

Many of the prisoners

were imprisoned

for political as well as criminal

offenses.

In the Soviet

prison

system

prison gangs

and

prison

societies

developed in

a very Russian

way. According

to Finckenauer and Voronin

(2001)

Etter, Pottorff, and

Urban: Decoding

the

Tattoos

"Ethnicity

did not play

the signrficant

role in Soviet organized crime

that

played

in the United

States. Instead,

the Soviet

prison

system,

in many

ways,

fulfilled the

functions

that were satisfied by shared ethnicity in the United

States.

In the

Soviet Union, a

professional

criminal class developed

in Soviet

prisons

during the Stalinist

period

that began

in 1924-the era of the

gulag.

These

criminals adopted

behaviors, rules,

values and sanctions

that bound

them

together

in what

was called

the

thieves

world,

led

by the

elite

"vory v

zakone',

criminals who lived

according

to the

'thieves'

law' . This thieves'

world, and particularly

the vory, created

and maintained the bonds

and

climate

of trust

necessary for carrying out organized crime."

What kind of criminal

are

you?

There

is a self-imposed, hierarchical society

among the

prisoners

in the

Russian

penal

system. According to

Bronnikov

(2016):

"According to the

unwritten

law

among criminals,

a convict without

tattoos

is looked down upon. Such individuals appear as white sheep in a black herd.

The immediate reaction

of newcomers to a camp

when they first see the

tattooed

prisoners

respect

and a certain

fear, as

well as understanding

ofthe

tattooed

prisoners'

seniority.

The tattoos that a convict wears

endow him

with both

material

and

psychological

advantages

inside

prison"

(p.9).

The Vory v. Zakone

(or Thief-in-Law) are career criminals

who have

sworn

adhere

to the "Thieves'

Code". Underlings of the Thief in Law will watch new

convict arrivals to judge if they are Thief material or just normal criminals.

(Lambert,

20A3,p,8)

Vor's are only male,

Tattoos are serious business

to the

Vor. A

Vor will ask a new inmate

if they

stand

by their tattoos. Ifthey are fakers, the tattoos

may

be removed forcibly

@aldaev,

Vasiliev

& Plutser-Sarno, 2009,p. 3l; Shoham,

2010,p.991).

A Blue

is someone

who

was forced to cover their tattoos because they

could

not live up to them,

A Goat is an

informer

and therefore an untouchable.

This

tattoo

is applied

forcibly.(Baldaev,

Vasiliev & Plutser-Sarno,2009,p. 156).

In his description

of the criminal hierarchy,

Bronnikov (2016) noted that the

pakhaniie

(ringleaders)

were at the top of the pyramid,

The

next layer of criminal

organization

contained authorities, enforcers, overseers or soldiers.

Bronnikov

observed

that the

pakhaniie

and the

authorities

were usually members

of the Vory

Zakone.

He describedthe next layer

as being the

men or laborers.

Bronnikov

(2016)

stated

that:

"A prisoner's place

in the hierarchy

of the criminal

world depends

on his

6Journal of Gang

Research Volume

25,

Number

4, Summer,2018

experience

as a criminal, his professionalism,

and his knowledge

of the

customs,

traditions

and

unwritten laws

of the criminal

world.

He must be

adept

at communicating

in code,

at speaking

fenya

(criminal

argot),

at using

cryptography, tapping gestures, signs and other secret methods of

communication

"(p.9).

prawings by Victoria

Urban)

Other regular

criminals

include: Those

criminals

that

are

known

a Blat (Blatnoi

is black

in Russian),

they

are a hardened

criminal

that

the

authorities

can

not

break.

Blats may be male or female.

Reds

are inmates

who cooperate

with the prison

administration.

GreyMenhavenotattoosormarkings.

(Lambert,2003,p.

n e,l3l)

Demello

(1993)

observed

that:

(

.ol

rk.

Etter, Pottorff,

and Decoding

the

Tattoos

"The

type of imagery

that

a convict

will choose for a tattoo is based both on

where

the convict came from and his

present

situation

in prison."

She went

on to say:

"These

tattoos

are

extremely important

in prison,

as they serve as

a reminder

ofthe community to

which a displaced

convict

belongs.

They also

identiff him as a member

of a certain

group

which has important

social

ramifications

when

encounters members

of rival groups (p.11).

The lowest level

of the hierarchy

contains the downcast who

are considered to be

outcasts and untouchables

(Baldaev,

Vasilev & Plutser-Sarno,

2006;

Bronnikov,

20 |

6,p.9

; Bullen, 20 16;

and Russiancriminaltattos.

com,

1 6).

The Thieves

Code of the

Vorv v.Zakone

Finckenauer

and Waring

( 1998)

the Vor society that developed

in the Soviet

prisons

adopted a Thieves

Code

that forbade

cooperation

in any way with the state and

included:

"The

vor is expected

to tum his back

on his birth family and to have

no family of his

own except for the criminal

community

that

is his family.

The

vor is forbidden to work and must

live only by criminal

activity.

The

vor must

give

moral

and

material assistance to other thieves.

The vor must recruit and

teach his craft to the

young.

The

vor must limit his drinking

and

gambling.

Becoming

drunk or being

unable

to pay gambling

debts

is prohibited.

The vor must not become involved

with the authorities,

participate

in social

activities,

or join social organizations.

The

vor must not take

up weapons

on behalf of the authorities

or serve in the

military.

The vor must

abide by and

carry

out punishments

determined by the thieves'

meeting (a

combination dispute resolution and court

forum)

The

vor

must fulfill all promises

made to other thieves"

(p. 105).

Thus,

Vor who served in the Russian Military (even

in WWII) were deemed to have

become

suka

(a traitor,

a bitch). This caused the "The War of the

Bitches"

in the

Soviet

prison

systems during 1947-49

when

Vor who

were

Soviet

military

veterans

reoffended

and were

sent

back into the Soviet

prison

system

(Baldaev,

Vasiliev

Sidorov,

2014,p.3

1-35).

Journal of Gang

Research Volume

25,

Number

4, Summer,

2018

How Russian Criminal Tattoos

Are Made

Looking at

howRussian

prison

tattoos

were

made,

Bronnikov

(1993)

observed

that:

"Tattooing

methods

in prisons

are

primitive

and

painful.

The convict

often

makes

the tattoo

himself,

and the

process can take

several

years

to complete.

A single

small

figure,

for example,

can

be created

in four to six hours of

unintemrpted

work. The instrument

of choice

is a reconstructed

electric

shaver

to which prisoners

add needles

and an ampule

with liquid dye.

Scorched

rubber that has been

mixed with urine

is use

for dye.

Dubious

sanitation

creates

serious

health complications,

including gangrene

and

tetanus,

but

the most common

problem

lymphadenitis,

inflammation

the

lymph

nodes accompanied

fever

and

chills"

(p.50-61)'

In his description

of how tattoos

are made

in Russian

prisons,

Lambert

(2003)

found

that:

"A guitar

string

sharpened

on the striking

edge

of a matchbook

makes

serviceable

needle

when

threaded

through

a regulation

wind-up shaver.

grafted-on

pen

cap serves

as the

ink well" (p.17).

The tattoo

ink is

produced by Russian

prisoners by burning

boot

heels.

This

yields

black

powder. The

powder

then sifted

through a

handkerchief

and

then

mixed with

urine.

This produces

a durable

ink. Lambert

(2003) noted

that:

"This

ink is

poured into

the

pen

cap

and

the

shaver

is wound

that

the

guitar

string

moves

like a sewing

machine

needle

through

the

ink and

into the

flesh"

(p.17).

Hand

and

Finger

Tattoos

(Ring

Tattoos)

Many

Russian

Mafia members

and other

Vor have extensive

tattoos

on their

hands

and

fingers

that

are a resume

of their criminal

pasts.

Baldaev,

Vasiliev & Plutser-

Samo,

(2009)

found that each

ring tattoo

represented

a specific

offense

that was

committed

by the criminal

that wore

it (p.132-137). Bronnikov

(2016)

observed

that:

..Ringtattoosarethemostcommontypeoftattoosfoundoncriminals.Being

alwaysvisible,theyareakindofcoatofarms,continuingtodisplaythe

criminal's

status

when

tattoos on

the

other

parts

of the

body are covered

up ,

byclothing.Eachringtattoostandsforaconviction(inslang,atripthrough

;t,

i:j:!;,.:l!

:iiir:,E

ii:$.

Etter, Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding

the

Tattoos

the 'zone'-the

penal

coionies).

On repeat

offender

had two tattoos

on each

finger

(but none

the thumbs),

indicating

total of sixteen

convictions.

The

pictures and symbols

are supposed

to correspond

to the criminal's

deeds"

1l)

For

example,

on the hand

tattoo shown each

symbol

has a specific

meaning.

* The

five dots

indicate four

watchtowers

and

a convict

(Baldaev,

Vasiliev

& Plutser-Sarno,

2009,

p.132-133).

* The cat indicates

that the wearer

considers

himself

to be a Korennoy

Obitatel

Tyurmy or "Native

Prison

Inhabitant".

The

insignia

onthe

hat ofthe

cat

indicates

that the

prisoner

is an otritsaly

or a thief who

refuses

to submit

to prison

rules

(Baldaev

Vasilev,

2013)

* The

crosses

on the knuckles

indicate

convictions

or "trips to the zone"

(Baldaev,

Vasiliev

& Plutser-Sarno,

2009,

p.1

32-133).

* The tattoo on the little finger indicates a third prison sentence

(Bronnikov,

2016,

p. l6- I 7).

* The tattoo

on the ring finger criminal family

father' s

footsteps"

(Bronnikov, 2016,

p. t 6- 1

7).

* The tattoo

on the middle

finger indicates

ties

or "I followed

conviction

for robbery

It'

,dS

er-

(Bronnikov,

2016,

8-1 9).

* The

tattoo

the index

finger

indicates

that

the

inmate

serving

time

for

a drug

offense

(Bronnikov,2016,

18-19).

* The tattoo on the thumb shows

a club from a deck of cards'

This

represents

a sword

to a

thief.

Thieves,

Robbers

and

exploiters

prefertattoos

of clubs

and spades

(Baldaev, Vasiliev

& Plutser-Sarno,

2009,

p.132-133),

Stars,

Epaulets

and

Other Tattoos

Indicating

Criminal Rank

There are certain

indications

of rank among

the

Vor and

other criminals.

However,

the

position

of the tattoo

can change

the

meaning.

For example

an eight

pointed

star

tattooed

on the upper

chest

can

indicate

a semi-authority,

two eight

pointed

stars

(one

on either

chest

or shoulder)

would

indicate

an authority

of the

VOR.

However,

the same tattoo on both

knees

indicates

that the

crirninal

is making

a statement

that

they will not bow before

other

powers

or submit

to prison

authorities

(Baldaev,

Vasilev, and Sidorov,2014,p.97,166-169;

Bronnikov,

2016,p.9; Shoham,

2010,

p.994;

Lambert,

2003,p.

20).

/as

'ed

ing

the

Iup

ugh

Journal of Gang

Research Volume

25,

Number

4, Summer,20l8

'a s

}(

F"l

Etter, Pottorff,

and Decoding

the

Tattoos

(Drawings

by Victoria

Urban)

Military style

epaulets

on an inmate's

shoulders

can

demote

rank

within the VOR.

While tattoos of Russian

epaulets

are

probably

the most

frequent,

French

or even

German

style epaulets have

been

observed tattooed

on Russian inmate's

shoulders.

Although

the German

epaulet

can be implied as a rejection

of the Soviet

state

(Bronnikov,

6,p.9

4-95

; Baldaev,

Vasilev,

and Sidoro v, 20 | 4,p.7

5).

Cats

(KOT)

The

Russian

word for cat is

KoT (tomcat)

(oxford,

2a07,p.327).

However

it is also

the

initials for the

phrase

Korennoy

Obitatel Tyurmy

which means

"Native

Prison

lnhabitant"

or Habitual

Criminal. It is a

frequent

tattoo

among the Vor.

"The

cat

considered to

be the

personification

ofthe

thieves'

fortune,

prudence,

patience,

the speed of their actions,

their ruthlessness,

and

rage"

(Baldaev,

vasilev

& Plutser-sarno,

2006,p.

1 l8). At one time

the

bow tie

was

forcibly

added

to show

that the

VOR had broken the Thieves

code. But this

longer

true

and most

KOT tattoos

have

the bow tie. (Drawings

by Victoria

Urban)

Facial Tattoos

tn describing

facial

tattoos

Russian prison

inmates Bronnikov

(1993)

noted

that:

"Facial

tattoos fall into a special

category.

Typical facial tattoos include

swastika,

prison

bars,

the

words

'slave

of the zone',

Junta',

or "Communist

Party slave'. Facial tattoos

are usually thae result

of the 'card game

chance',

a particularly

popular

pastime

with convicts.

When

the loser

runs

out of money

and valuables,

he agrees

to fulfill any

demand

of the wimer,

even

murder.

The winner

can

make

the loser his slave,

sodomize

him, or

force

him to get

a facial

tattoo

of his liking. The loser

will often willingly

agree

to the facial tattoo, since

he knows

it can

be removed

in a sursical

tt2 Journal of Gang

Research Volume 25, Number 4, Summer,2018

procedure

in the

prison

hospital. Once in the hospital,

has

a good

chance

ofbeing transferred to another

penal

colony,

where he

can escape

his

former

debts

and bondage"(p.

50-6 I ).

Political Tattoos

According

Russiancriminal tattoos.com

(2016)

Stalin and

Lenin

were considered

to be sacred, so

inmates

would tattoo the

faces

over their

hearts

and

vital organs so

guards

would not hit or shoot

them in that spot of the

body

(Baldaev,

Vasiliev, &

Sidorov,

2014,p.27).

Many of the anti- government

tattoos

showed anti-Soviet

anti-Communist

themes.

These tattoos were often quite obscene.

Many tattoos

showed

their displeasure with the Soviet

government

by displaying Nazi based

themes.

This did not mean that the inmate was

pro-Nazi.

Because

of the Russian/

German

conJlict during

the Great

Patriotic

War (World

War

II) these

tattoos

were

considered

to be anti-Soviet

( Baldaev,

Vasiliev,

& Sidorov,20l4,p. 127-l3l).

Nowadays, since the

fall of the Soviet

Union,

these tattoos are rarely

used.

,t,

.: t,t

Etter, Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding

the

Tattoos

Many

Russian

criminals

have

anti-government

tattoos.

Shoham

(2010) observed

that:

..Many

anti-Establishment

tattoos

have

been

observed

on the prisoners,

challenging

the authorities

and

paying tribute

to values

of eliminating

and

injuringpoiice

officers,

judges,

andotherrepresentativesofthe

lad'(p.994).

Specific

Criminal Offenses

Tattoos

Some

tattoos

indicate

that

the

wearer

has

committed

or is involved

in a specific

criminal

offense.

The

positioning of the

tattoo

is also

important'

Spiders

indicate

that

the

inmate

is walking

along

the criminal

path.

A spider

crawling

up, indicates

that the wearer

is maintaining

their course

on the criminal

path.

rpiOrt

on the

skull

expresses

the

idea that

the

inmate

is dedicated

being

a criminal

for the rest of thef Ufe.

A spider

crawling down indicates

that the inmate

attempting

to get out of the

criminal

life. A spider

in a web

indicates

that

the

Zone

(prison) lJ wovtn into everything

and that the

wearer

is the

boss

(Lambert,

2003'

p.27).

Tattoos

of spiders

or vampires

can indicate

drug involvement

well' (Lambert'

2003,

p.33) in describing

those

inmates

involved

in drugs,

Bronnikov

(2016) stated

that:

.,Drug

addicts,

well as

drug

pushers

and

manufacturers,

wear

a variety

symbols:

needles

for shooting

up; gin

pouring out

of a bottle;

beetle

of fly

caught

in a

spider's

web

symbol

that

means

'I'm mixedup

in drugs

beetle

in manure

and

i'll never

get

out").

Addicts

are

marked

by the

flower-

head

of a poppy, a deformed

skull or the devil on a rocket

flying in circles

towards

the

moon

with the

text: 'I'm headed

to the

moon

for marijuana.'

twisted snake,

usually

tattooed

on the forearm

and accompanied

by the

words

'No blood

flows

through

my veins,

only morphine',

gives

a clear

message

of inescapable

addiction.

Addicts

often

cover

their

arms

and

legs

with dark

tattoos

in an

attempt

to hide

needle

marks.

Such

tattoos

generally

do not have any

special

meaning"

(p 13)

Belt Call to Bell Call-

The

image

of two bells

being

rung

indicates

that

the

inmate

intends to serve

his full sentence

and

refuses

to accept

parole or cooperate

with

authorities. Literally it means

from bell call to bell call. This taffoo

indicates

hardened

crirninal

(Russiancriminaltattoos.com,

2016; Bronnikov,2016,p.208).

l4 Journal of Gang

Research Volume 25, Number

4, Summer,

2018

Many prisoner's

and gang

members

from many different

countries have tattoos

acknowledging

the role of fate in their lives. This acknowledgement

of the role of

fate is usually some representation

of Greek theater masks

are used. Showing

laughter and

crying

representing

laugh

now,

cry latter.

Russiancriminal

tattoos.com

(2016)

found a set of Nordic or Slavic

style wooden masks

and the barbed wire

(indicating

incarceration)

tattooed

on a Russian

prisoner's

shoulder.

Tattoos of beetles,

ants, cockroaches,

bumblebees,

flies and spiders

(without

cobwebs) are symbols of pickpockets.

These

are usually

tattooed

on the hands

(Baldaev

&Vasiliev, 201 3).

The

tattoo

of a

growling

bear

- Medvezhatnik

- indicates a

professional

safeoracker,

Medvezhatnik is from the word Mevded.

Medved in Russian is Bear. In Russian

argo, Medved is safe

(Russiancriminaltattos.com,

2016).

However

the tattoo of a

dancing

bear

playing

the accordion and

begging can

represent

"Misha

the

Accordion

Player".

This indicates

that the wearer

was convicted

of hooliganism

(Baldaev,

Vasiliev & Plutser-Samo,

2009,p. 183).

The tattoo of a pirate can indicate a robber or a conviction for robbery

(Russiancnmnaltattoos.com,

2016).

However,

the

tattoo

of a pirate

holding a knife

in his

mouth

according to Bronnikov

(2016)

observed that:

"Tattooed

the

chest

or shoulder, a pirate

wrth a knife in his teeth if often

accompanied bt the

acronym

'IRA' (a

Russian

female

name) written on

the

knife,

which stands for Idu rezat

aktiv

(I'm offto kill the activists). Worn

otritsaly (prisoners

who refuse

to submit to prison

rules) it denotes

inclination

to brutality, sadism,

and a negative

attitude towards

activists-

prisoners

who openly collaborate with prison

authorities,"

G,.202-203)

Tattoos

of a skull and

crossbones or a skull pierced

by a knife are often worn

murderers

(Lambert,

2003,p.33). Agreeing

with Lambert,

Bronnikov

(2016)

found

that:

"The trademark tattoo of murders

is a skull with a dagger through it

(sometimes

the dagger

is below the skull) or a skull

with bolts of lightning

zigzagg;ngttnough

it. Bird wings

both

sides ofthe skull

indicate

that a life

has left this world. Murderers

also wear tattoos

ofpirates, a tombstone

cToss,

a spade from a deck

of cards

(the winning suit in a game

of chance for

money),

a severed head

human

skeleton. Heads of predatory

animals

such

as wolves, rats,

tigers,

lions

and

snow leopards

are also favored"(p.13).

Etter, Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding

the Tattoos

The

Downcast

The downcast

are the lowest of the

low among

Russian inmates.

Bullen

(201

states

that a prisoner

can become a downcast

by:

"Informing,

Stealing

from other

inmates,

Omitted(Breaking Vor rules),

Welching,

Outrage & Chaos

(such

unjustly downcasting

another

inmate

participating

in a gang

rape

sanctioned by the guards),

Falsely Accusing,

Paedophiles, Slop Buckets

(unclean

inmates), Former Police

or Corrections

Officers,

Sex Offenders,

Weakness,

Handling

(of other

people's

stuff) or

Homosexuality.

On a downcast, the

position

of the

tattoos

may

show that

the

prisoner

is a sex slave

and used for sexual

gratification.

Such

tattoos

are

often

applied forcibly to the inmate

by other inmates and are usually placed upon the inmate's back.

(Russiancriminaltattoos.co,

2016)

According

to Baldaev,

Vasilev

& Plutser-Sarno,

(2006)

other downcast

markings might include:

"A woman

holding

an apple in her hand

with a snake winding

round her,

symbolizing experience from an early age.

This is the tattoo

of a passive

homosexual,

wom

the back, It is sometimes

applied

forcibly"

(p.163).

Lambert

(2003)

observed that some downcast sex

slaves

had

eyes tattooed over

their

groin looking

down

(p,12).

While Russiancriminal tattoos.com

(2016)

found a

downcast

sex

slave

with a

back

tattoo

depicting a

man's face on his buttocks

with his

mouth

over the anus.

In his

description

of the downcast, Shoham

(2010)

observed

that:

"One

mark

is for the

active

homosexual. Onto

this

prisoner's genital

organ

bee

is forcibly inscribed. Correspondingly,

on the buttocks

of the

passive

homosexual is tattooed a beehive.

The metaphor

is clear. One (the bee)

stings,

and

the other

(the

beehive)

receives and absorbs the sting withrn

it.

The reason

that these

particular

body

parts

are chosen for these tattoos is

clear,

both in terms of the physical

act of homosexual relations and of the

humiliation, scom, and pain that of necessity accompany such tattoos.

Another

way

of marking

the humiliation of the passive

homosexual is the

inscription

of a

pair

of open eyes

on the buttocks,

signal that

he is stripped,

known,

and

permitted

to everyone.

The passive

homosexual may also be

marked

by a tattoo

on his buttocks

of a cat chasing a mouse, This tattoo is

inscribed

by force

and shows him as a mouse exposed to any cat to pursue

and

devour"

(p.99a).

)

S-

ife

SS,

for

"ch

)yi

rd,

Journal of Gang Research Volume

25, Number 4, Summer,

2018

Amatory

Tattoos

Amatory

tattoos denote affection and

may

or may

not

be criminally

related.

Often

they

reflect

the

image

or name of a loved

one or girlfriend.

Sometimes they contain

the image

or a drawing

of the loved

one, while expressing

regret

or sorrow

at the

separation from their beloved.

Religious or Anti-Religious

Tattoos

Religious

tattoos

may or may not mean

what they

appear as. For example, a

Russian

inmate

wearing

the tattoo

of the Madonna

may be expressing his loyalty to his

criminal clan rather than

asking

for intervention

from

the

saint

to save

him

(I-ambert,

2003,

p.29), Baldaev,

Vasiliev, & Sidorov

(2014)

observed

that.

"The rite of initiation of a convict to the thieves' caste

is known as a

coronation or baptism.....From

the

mid-1930"s the

legitimates

proclaimed

themselves to the

'keepers

of the true Orthodox

faith'

, and

changed the name

of the thieves' imtiation ceremony

to 'baptism'.

ln reality,

the two were

not

dissimilar, First, the newcomers

were converted to a new faith- the thieves'

faith. They were then given

new names:

a klikukha

(alias),

or pogonyalo

(nickname).

From

then on, they were only

addressed by this moniker. Lastly,

each

new

convert was

given

a 'thieves'

cross',

either

worn

around the neck

on a string, or tattooed on the chest. This

was similar to the

Orthodox cross

in appearance, but often

bore

additional

distinctive

features.

The cross

was

usually

embellished with the

wearer's favorite image:

a heart,

playing

cards,

perhaps

naked

lady. In this

way thieves' crosses were

distinguishable from

those worn by other

prisoners,

especially kulaks

(convicted

rich peasants)"

(p36-37),

The

observations ofBaldaev,

Vasiliev,

& Sidorov

(2014)

on claims

by some thieves

to be the

protectors

of the true Orthodox faith are of particular

interest

as many Vor

that

immigrated

to the United States in the 1970's

were

Soviet Jews

fleeing

religious

persecution

(Freidman,

2000,p.

23-24). Tattoos

of churches

can also have

other

meanings

that the wearer is a

member

ofthe Russian

Orthodox

Church.

For

example

if the tattoo

of the church is surrounded by barbed wire, this is an indication

incarceration

of the wearer

(Russiancriminal

tattoos.com, 2016). The number

domes

on the church often indicate

the number of convictions

that

a convict has

(Baldaev,

Vasilev, and

Sidoro v, 20

| 4,p.37

; Lamber, 2003,

p.24).

.t .]

i::i.:r{ rl

Etter, Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding

the

Tattoos

(Drawing

by Victoria

Urban)

Some

Russians

are Anti-Semitic.

Pogroms were common

during Tsarist

times.

When

the

Soviets

decided

to open up immigration

from the

CCCP

in the late 1 970's,

Soviet

citizens

that were

Jewish were the only one allowed

to leave in large numbers.

Therefore

it is not surprising

that

some

Russian criminal

inmate

tattoos are very anti-

Semitic

or anti-Islamic.

These taffoos

often

express very nationalistic

or Slavophile

(Old

Believer)

expressions

or messages. Baldaev, Vasiliev & Plutser-Sarno,

(2009)

cited

the

example

of a

character

of a horned devil

that

was

adomed with Jewish

and

Islamic symbols that was

being hanged while a smiling Slavophile

peasant

was

sitting by the gallows.

That caption

read: "For Russia

without Jews, blacks and

Asians!

Anarchy

- the

mother

of order!"

(p.141).

)st

ly,

ISS

Is,

r)"

/es

/or

)us

her

ple

has

l8 Journal of Gang

Research Volume 25,

Number

4, Summer,2018

Some Russianprison

inmates

practice

Satanism. This

usually

a sign

of anti-social

behavior

or an attempt

to intimidate

other prisoners

or prison

authorities. It is

interesting

to note

that

the tattoos

that inmates

in the Russian prison

system

who

practice

Satanism

wear

the

same

symbols

their tattoos

as do American

inmates

the United States

Federal Bureau

of Prisons (Baldaev,

Vasilev, and Sidorov,

2014,p.

l l4-l2l ; FBOP,

1994,

p.l

68-

I 88).

Summary

Criminals

in Russia

have

been tattooed

or branded

since Tsarist

times.

The

practice

of prison

tattoos

became

means

of self-identification

among

the Vor in the Soviet

gulags

from

the

1920's-1990's.

In studying

prison

tattoos,

DeMello

(1993)

felt

that

it is

possible

that

tattoos

served

to identiff inmate's

psyche

and identity.

She

felt

that

solidifying

one's

identity

was

particularly

crucial

in prisons

where

the individual's

identity

was

severely

lirnited

by the

nature

of their

confinement.

In his

description

of Russian

prison

tattoo,

Shoham

(2010)

felt

that:

"The

criminal's

body

tells his

criminal

life story to the

criminal

world.

Just

as the

language

of argot

is seemingly

composed

of regular

neutral

words,

the

language

of tattoos

is composed

of images

and pictures

known to all.

However,

the unique

meaning

and commentary given

to those

images

in the

criminal

world

is what

makes

it possible

forthis nonverbal

language

to fulfil

its

funotion" (p.991).

Bronninkov (1993)

observed

that

for Russian

Mafia member

and

prisoners:

"Tattoos are like

passport,

a biography,

a uniform

with

medals.

They

reflect

the

convict's

interests,

his

outlook

life, his

world

view.

There

are

certain

'distinguished'

tattoos

that a

convict

earns the

right

to wear-visible signs

his

authority

andprestige.

A prisoner

has

nothing

ofhis own, not

even

decent

clothes,

only

the

changeless

prison

garb.

Because

the only

thing

that

belongs

to a

prisoner

is his

body,

it can

be violated

or battered

turned into

picture

gallery"

(p.50).

Since

the fall of Communism

in 199

I ,

the

practice

of prison

tattoos

has

lessened,

but

it is

still practiced

in Russia

and

among

Russian

speaking

gang

members.

The fall of

the former Soviet Union allowed the immediate

immigration

of hundreds

thousands

of people

to the

West.

All most

all ofthese immigrants

were

just looking

for a fresh

start or new

opportunities.

However,

a few were

looking

to escape

their

criminal pasts

and to spread

the influence

of their criminal

organizations.

Thus,

Russian

criminals

who

find themselves

in prisons

outside

Russia

often

bring

their

)18

:ial

tis

rho

iof

'ov,

Etter, Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding the Tattoos

gangs

and customs

with them

(Zdun,

2008,

p.52).

Law enforcement

and corrections

personnel

should

make

themselves aware

of these markings and

their meanings.

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A. (2009)

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1810-

l 850. http://www.

sciencemuseum.

orq.

uk/broug

display?id:92953

Accessed

05117

I 17.

London,

England

ife/obi

Shoham,

E. (2010)

"Signs

of Honor"

Among

Russian

Inmates

in Israel's

prisons,

International

Journal

of ofender Therapy

and

Comparative

Criminologt.5a(6).

984-1003.

nal ;

,. / t

'tc/

)ks. :

09/ 'l

,ons.

').p

Etter,

Pottorff,

and

Urban: Decoding

the

Tattoos

Wild,

& Bronnikov,

(2016)

Russian

Criminal

Tattoos:

The

Iconography

ofthe

Russian Undergrourd. http://mashable.com/2

0l4ll0l29lrussian-prison-tattoos/

#rTFEmHggGkqI

Accessed

122116

wood, s. (2016) From punishment to protest: a French

history

of tattoos'

The

Conversation.

July 25. htfp://theconversation.com/from-punishment-to-Protest-a-

french-history-of-tattoos-62838

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Zdur+S.

(2008) Russian

Communities

in German

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Vol' 9' p' 42'58'

About

the

Authors:

Dr.

Gregg

Etter

Sr.,

Ed.D.

is a

Professor

of Criminal

Justice

the

University

of Central

Missowi.

He retired

as a

Lieutenant

with the Sedgwick

County

Sheriff

Offrce

after

serving

from 1977 to 2006.

He is rated

gang

expert

by the

National

Gang Crime

Research

Center.

He has written

extensively

and

presented

classes

gang;,

white

supremacist

groups

and

police management

topics

in the

United

States

and

Canada.

Dr. Etter earned

his Bachelor's

and

Master's

degrees

from Wichita

State

University

and

his

Doctorate

degree

from Oklahoma

State

University.

Stacia

N. Pottorff,

earned

her Bachelors

of Science

degree

with honors

Criminal

Justice

at the

University

of Cenhal

Missouri. She

is cunently

a graduate

student working on her Master's

degree

in Criminal Justice

at the University

Central

Missouri.

She

is employed

an information

analyst

the

Missouri

State

Highway Patrol in Jefferson

City, Missouri. She

is a member

of the American

Criminal Justice

Association/Lambda

Alpha Epsilon.

She

was

a recipient

of the

2015 UCM Undergraduate

Research

Grant.

Ms. Victoria E. Urban earned

her Bachelors

of Science

degree

in Criminal

Justice

the

University of Central

Missouri.

She

is cunently

a gaduate student

Social Work attheUniversity

of Illinois

Chicago.

She

was arecipient

ofthe

2014

UCM Undergraduate

Research Grant.

e.i

of 'n,

:o. I

,and i

cts/ !

L,---.-*-- -_

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.

Gregg W. Etter

This article describes the relationship between tattoos and gangs. The article also examines the relationship between gangs and certain associations with tribalism.

Margo Demello

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

Efrat Shoham

The unique nature of Israeli society as an immigrant society has also affected the prison population in Israel. This article focuses on a social and cultural phenomenon that particularly characterizes the prisoners of Russian origin, the phenomenon of tattoos. Using postmodernist theories, the article examines the function of the tattoo among Russian prisoners and the role it plays in constructing the criminal self-identity of these inmates in Israeli prisons. The tattoos observed during 2005-2006 among the Russian prisoners in four major Israeli prisons reflect the values of the Russian criminal subculture from which they evolved and were imported. This subculture is characterized by a hierarchical class structure and manifestations of machismo, domination, defiance, rebellion, and open antagonism against the Establishment and its representatives.

Law enforcement and corrections personnel should make themselves aware of these markings and their meanings. Bibliography Baldaev

Etter
Pottorff Urban
S Vasiliev
A Plutser-Samo

'ov, Etter, Pottorff, and Urban: Decoding the Tattoos gangs and customs with them (Zdun, 2008, p.52). Law enforcement and corrections personnel should make themselves aware of these markings and their meanings. Bibliography Baldaev, D. ; Vasiliev, S.; and Plutser-Samo, A. (2009) Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Vol. 1. London, IIK: Fuel Publishing.

RussianCriminal TattooEncylopediaPostcards

D Baldaev
S Andvasilev

Baldaev,D. andVasilev, S. (2013) RussianCriminal TattooEncylopediaPostcards. London, UK: Fuel Publishing.

Russian Criminal Tattoo: Police Files

A Bronnikov

Bronnikov, A, (2016) Russian Criminal Tattoo: Police Files. Vol. 1, London, UK: Fuel Publishing.

Telltale Tattoos in Russian Prisons. Natural History. 102(Il)

A Bronnikov

Bronnikov, A. (1993) Telltale Tattoos in Russian Prisons. Natural History. 102(Il). p.50-61.

16) The Thief in Law: A guide to Russian Prison Tattoos and Russian Speaking Crime Gangs

M Bullen

Bullen, M. (20 16) The Thief in Law: A guide to Russian Prison Tattoos and Russian Speaking Crime Gangs. St. Petersburg, Russia: One's Own Publishing House Ltd.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327190001_Decoding_the_Tattoos_of_the_Russian_Mafia

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