The branding of criminals was practised in Russia long before tattooing was customary, and was banned in 1863. In the 1… 展开

After World War II a schism occurred in the criminal world leading to the Bitch Wars. Many convicts had fought in penal units, in contravention of the thieves' code that no thief should serve in the military or cooperate with a… 展开

In the 1950s Nikita Khrushchev declared a policy for the eradication of criminality from Soviet society. Along with propaganda denouncing the "traditional thief" that had grown in popularity in Russian culture, punishments in t… 展开

The tattooists, or kol'shchiki (prickers), were held in high regard. Tattoo needles can be referred to as peshnya (ice pick), pchyolka (bee), shpora (spur), or shilo (sting), while the tattoo machine can be referred to as mashinka (little … 展开

Common designs and themes grew over the years, often having different meanings depending on the location of the tattoo. The imagery often does not literally mean what it is depicting—for example, tattoos displaying … 展开

Tattoos on the hands and fingers were common, and for women, palm tattoos showing insults were popular in the 1940s and 50s.
• A church with three cupolas – "eternal prisoner" applie… 展开