Russian Prison Tattoos- The Story of Prison Tattoos

The first apparent criminal to be tattooed dates back to the bible, where Cain is branded a criminal before being exiled. It is not definitive in history when tattoos became common ground in Russian prisons but researchers first started to notice its prominence in the early 1920’s. More then simply body modification their tattoos proclaim a mini biography of the bearer, right from their pre-incarceration background to their rank within the subculture and social system of the prison.

Prison is crime college, where criminals learn better techniques from better criminals. Russians prison population is among the largest in the world so it is no wonder there is such a strong social standard amongst so many people. The tattoos they bear are not for decoration or simple body modification. Often bluish in colour from “jail house” tattoo guns, they often lack true definition due to the lack of proper tools. They are painful to endure but the only way to exist within the confines of prison. They are used by inmates to show they will never conform. It shows that they may be imprisoned, but they still hold strong their contempt for the system that holds them and the political system that runs it.

Prison tattoos relay to the outside world the true language of the society that dwells behind the walls. Though the inmates have all but lost themselves from the outside world, they are very much alive within the prison. They hold ranks and social standings and display them proudly as permanent badges upon their bodies, just as a soldier wheres his rank upon his uniform. Some common tattoos to find is that of barbed wire which indicates a lifer or a skull displaying that man is a murderer. They retain their individuality though they no longer exist to the outside world. Though their stories may have been forgotten to those in regular society their stories are forever told in the ink they wear.

For many prisoners it is all they have left. To some to die without a story upon your body is to have never existed. Though it seems strange to those outside that society it is almost life or death within the walls of Russian prisons. Russian prison tattoos have been around for ages, and show no sign of decreasing anytime soon. The culture has taken hold and is born into the criminals from the day they walk through the gates.