Fwd: Russian Criminal Tattoos

Thu Mar 31 16:41:02 UTC 2011

I don't know if your student reads Russian, but I've also found the following 
works to be helpful--in addition to the numerous sources already mentioned--when 
researching tattoos:

Bronnikov, A. G. and D. V.  Tatuirovka za reshetkoi.  Perm': Prikamskii 
sotsial'nyi institut, 2003.

Mil'ianenkov, Lev.  Po tu storonu zakona: entsiklopediia prestupnogo mira.  
Saint Petersburg: “Ladies and Gentlemen,” 1992.

I hope this helps!

All best,

Julie Draskoczy

________________________________
From: helena goscilo <goscilo at GMAIL.COM>
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Sent: Thu, March 31, 2011 5:44:36 AM
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Fwd: Russian Criminal Tattoos

Vols. 1 & 3 of Baldaev's (and others') *Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia
*are available at Amazon.com for approx. $25 each. Vol. II is now a rarity.
All are copiously illustrated with Baldaev's copies of prisoners' tattoos
and photographs of tattooed prisoners. The latter include women, which is a
rarity in any discussion of Russian criminal tattoos.

Regarding the original questions posed by the students: tattoos are earned
or imposed upon prisoners, but the entire system of criminal tattoos is much
too complex to answer in a brief e-message. I suggest that the student
consult the three vols. of the *Encyclopedia* and the Alix Lambert volume.
All are highly informative.

Helena Goscilo

On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 8:29 AM, Simon Beattie <Simon at simonbeattie.co.uk>wrote:

> I remember some years ago, in a British Library exhibition, there being a
> book showing various Russian prison tattoos.  A quick search in the BL
> catalogue comes up with Baldaev, "Slovar' blatnogo vorovskogo zhargona"
> (1997), which may have been it, but also by Baldaev is the "Russian
> Criminal
> Tattoo Encyclopedia" (2003), published by Steidl:
>
> http://www.steidlville.com/books/5-Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopedia.html
> .  In the past, I've seen this for sale with dealers specialising in
> photobooks.  It's become quite a collectable (i.e. potentially expensive)
> book.  Lastly, I just came across Alix Lambert, "Russian Prison Tattoos:
> Codes of Authority, Domination and Struggle":
> http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764317644
> .
>
> Hope this may help.
>
> All the best,
>
> Simon
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
> [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Graham Wilkins
> Sent: 31 March 2011 13:02
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Fwd: Russian Criminal Tattoos
>
> The student could check out the documentary film The Mark of Cain.  It
> isn't
> explicitly about Russian mafia and their tattoos (I think Vor v Zakone is
> what they are often called), but there is some explanation of their
> meanings.  The overall focus is on prison life in Russia.
>
> On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 7:37 AM, <gfowler at indiana.edu> wrote:
>
> > Greetings!
> >
> > A student in my second-year Russian class asked me yesterday about
> Russian
> > criminal tattoos. Of course I know nothing at all about this, but I asked
> > her to write up her question in forwardable form. If anyone can help her,
> > I'd be delighted to pass along any information sent directly to me or
> posted
> > to this list. Thanks in advance!
> >
> > George Fowler
> >
> > The student writes:
> >
> > I've had a few questions about Russian criminal tattoos pop up recently.
> > First of all I'll make the disclaimer that I don't know exactly what the
> > proper name for the Russian Mafia/Mob/Cartel/Bratva is, so I'll just be
> > using Mafia as a catch all - feel free to specify or to not get into it
> (I'd
> > like to learn, but my point in asking is the tattoos)
> >
> > My first question is: at what frequency these are given in prisons versus
> > those who get them done outside of prison. For example, the stars on the
> > collar bone and knees seem to be done mostly outside of prison (from my
> > extremely limited understanding, do correct me if I'm wrong), while
> > something like shackles would be more likely than not acquired during
> > incarceration. The tattoos I have specific questions about are the hands
> > holding the Kremlin, the stars for ranking, and the epaulets on the
> > shoulders (more specifically with the imperialist rankings over the
> soviet,
> > but any information will do) What are the exact meanings of these
> tattoos,
> > in what organizations/rings of crime are people more likely to get them,
> > and
> > how are they likely to be acquired? Is prison most likely for them all,
> or
> > are they concevably gained while outside of jail?
> >
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
> >  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
> >                  http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

-- 
Helena Goscilo
Professor and Chair
Dept. of Slavic & EE Langs. and Cultures at OSU
1775 College Road
Columbus, OH 43210
Tel:  (614) 292-6733

Motto:
"It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book."
Friedrich Nietzsche

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------