Russian Criminal Tattoo

[alex charles]

Russian criminal tattoo's are incredibly interesting in both their
symbolism and their honor system. Here are the different aspects to a
Russian criminal tattoo:
1. Initiation.
Usually a new recruit to a gang or organization will receive an
initiation tattoo. This tattoo will be placed on the chest, and
sometimes may incorporate a rose. The Russian Mafia was particularly
known for using the rose tattoo on the chest.
2. Phony tattoo.
Within the Russian criminal tattoo world, if one is found to be
wearing an unearned or "phony" tattoo, that is one which the wearer
got inked on to try to pose as a criminal or someone who supposedly
earned certain ranks, then severe punishment was inflicted on the
wearer. Even death was seen as verifiable form of punishment to posers
who went around adoring criminal tats.
Also, if one chose to get out of an organization, he would have to
painfully remove his tattoo through a process consisting of magnesium
powder application which would dissolve the skin, and hence, remove
the tattoo.
3. Punishment Tattoos.
Not all Russian criminal tattoos are worn voluntarily. Some criminals
have the ink forced upon them. These criminals will have committed
some wrong in the eyes of the Russian underworld. Not paying debts,
performing disservice to an organization, and breaking the criminal
code can all result in forced ink.
These punishment tattoos often take the form of sexual explicit
designs, aimed at embarrassing the wearer. Many of the forehead
tattoos seen in the Russian criminal underworld were forced ink, which
were used to warn others about that persons connections, or simply
were a harsh way of embarrassing that individual through ethnic or
sexual slants.
More About Tattoo : http://groups.google.com/group/tattooewt