Customer Reviews

Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia

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Every now and then a book comes out that illuminates a part of the world that was not only previously hidden but which could not even be imagined. Such a work is the _Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia_ (Steidl / Fuel), featuring mostly the drawings of tattoos by Danzig Baldaev, with photos by Sergei Vasiliev, and an explanatory essay by Alexei Plutser-Sarno. In these photos and tattoos, which I guarantee you are like nothing you have ever seen before, are reflected the horrors of Russia written on the skins of criminals. As strange as the pictures are, they are not so foreign as to eliminate sadness and tragedy; this is a book of devastation on many levels, and anyone flipping through the images will be enlightened about a very distant world, but also will be distressed and mystified.

The majority of pages are Danzig Baldaev's drawings of tattoos he has collected during a lifetime as a prison attendant. The book could not be published before, but Baldaev has brought it out now as a protest of the "long time all of us lived under the leadership of villains, tricksters, and bandits." There are what are called "legitimate thieves" in Russia. They represent a robber caste, criminals who have their own code of laws and obey it. It is in some part hereditary; there are tattoos here that proclaim proudly "My father was a thief." The legitimate thieves have a strict hierarchy that extends inside and out of prison, and are reputed to have representatives in all levels of the government and police. They have special control of life in "the zone", the prison camps, where most of the tattoos are applied. The tattoos are a type of uniform and a service record. In prison slang, someone's tattoos are known as his (or her) "tail coat with medals." The initiated may read on the criminal's body his crimes, his duration of imprisonment within the zone, his sexual proclivities, and much more. It might seem that bearing the initials of the Unified State Political Administration would attest the bearer's interest in keeping to the party line, but they actually stand for "Oh, God, help me to escape!" A tattoo may testify to "God," but only because the letters of that name are the initials for "I shall rob again." The anti-communist nature of many of these tattoos is obvious. From Lenin to Yeltsin, leaders are depicted as wolves, pigs, or rapists. These convicts are not dissidents, just outcasts who reject any sort of authority except that of their own brotherhood. Grotesquely anti-Semitic pictures of devils have a strange twist; they demonize the Jewish leaders who started the communist state. A swastika means not Nazism but anarchism.

The tattoos show a horrifying eagerness for violence against women, Jews, and politicians. They are funny sometimes, but also bitterly cruel. The photographs of the bearers, however, show tired or shy faces, or even angelic ones with eyes looking heavenward. This is a disturbing and astonishing book of a subculture and a way of life still playing a role in current affairs.

I lived in Moscow for five years and had heard about criminal tattoos but had never seen any. This book was a fascinating, but depressing view of a completely different world and world-view from that of the Russians I knew. If you understand Russian and something of Russian culture the book is extremely interesting, but interesting even if you don't. My only complaint is that the tattoos are fascinating but the book is relatively light on text.

this is an excellent book for those interested in tattoo art from other countries. this book has a lot of sketches describing each tattoo and its meaning. it also has actual pictures of russian inmates with their facinating prison tattoos. i would not recomend this book for anyone under 18 since some of the tattoos/sketches of tattoos are extremely violent and pornograhic. But facinating at the same time.

When I bought this book, I flipped through the pages and looked at all the tattoos before reading anything. The tattoos were interesting enough, but I had to read the introduction to understand the culture that was molded wholly around the artwork itself. This encyclopedia gives a detailed account of what having a tattoo means in the culture of Russian prisoners. In many societies, tattoos mean very little. Many people get them on a whim, or go into a parlor knowing they want one, but not knowing what they want (probably a butterfly on her back, or a tribal band around his arm). This book explains how tattoos among Russian inmates serve as their resumes--who they are, what they've done, where they rank in the society, who they serve, how they feel about the state... the culture made possible by the tattoos is extremely fascinating, but you have to either be an inmate or read a book written by a credible source (read: this book) to find out about all the facets of it.

This book happens to be out of print and gaining value everyday. If you have the $ to spend its quite the addition to any book collection. Heart breaking story's of sorrow, misery, love, hate and much more. This book was also what inspired the director of Eastern Promises to re-write his script. If you find this book interesting, I suggest buying the DVD "Mark of Cain"

If you liked the earlier volumes, then there is no doubt you will like this volume too. It features more crazy russian gangster tats, with explanations and lore. I recommend this book to anybody who likes off-color tattoo books or is interested in Russian gangster tattoos and imagery as well.

got it as a gift for my tattoo artist husband. it arrived on time and he was pleased with the material.

Son needed 3 references for a college report on tatoos, these are perfect. Got'em quick and he's happy. Each are very informative with pics.

...an excellent look at a real niche subject. I'm amazed the author had the foresight to document the images he saw on a daily basis.

I opted for this volume as the others were obscenely expensive. It is a great documentary of the Russian Prisoners code of ethics and tattoos. Be prepared for some very graphic images, sexual content, and racist content. Great book though and a thorough analysis of the Russian criminal code of behaviour.