just picked up a really fascinating book called russian criminal tattoo encyclopedia. from the jacket: the drawings in this book are part of a collection of more than 3000 tattoos accumulated over a lifetime by prison attendant danzig baldev. tattoos were his gateway into a secret world in which he acted as ethnogropher, recording the rituals of a closed society. it’s a nice book. below you will find some examples of the russian prison tattos found within. they are mostly nsfw and beyond that some folks may find them offensive, but they are prison tattoos afterall.

this tattoo is called “the hot black shaft” or “the greedy whore.”




tattoo from a seaman sentanced for failing to pay alimony. the depiction of “the beheading of john the baptist” represents himself and his wife, who took him to court and had him imprisoned.




finely drawn anti-soviet tattoo from a military construction worker convicted of theft.




a hooligan horoscope tattoo. text: we are twins and our spirit is young!




a tattoo on a man who had lost at cards in a corrective labour colony. according to the rules of the game, the loser had to comply with the winners wishes. he was also obliged to pay for the tattoo himself.




a female hooligan convict tattoo known as “the prick-eater”




tattoo from a man whose parents were exiled. text: the agressive, eternally hungry, drunk russian swine asks the west to help…




a tattoo based on a photograph. text: fate.




a hooliagn’s tattoo worn by a man who was convicted for hooliganism. text: now, bitch, tell me how you were unfaithful to your husband.




intricate tattoo from a convict imprisoned “becuase of a woman.”

the book has hundreds of high quality drawings as well and many photographs and a couple detailed essays. wild stuff. much of it is sexual, lots of satan fucking for instance, but there are ugly ideas of all sorts expressed through the russian vernacular of work camp ink. if your interest is peaked, or you are some kind of sick puppy, you can pick up the book here.