For centuries, Russian prison inmates forcibly initiated newcomers with tattoos. Gradually, prisoners developed a secret form of communication with their tattoos, allowing them to establish rank among the other inmates and maintain a clandestine hierarchy. This book explores the grisly reality of Russian prisons and the people who inhabit them. Over 190 black and white and color photographs expose the different tattoos and their meanings, ranging from churches, crosses, Christs, Madonnas, military symbols, cats, dolphins, bears, hawks, and other startling images. Documentary filmmaker Alix Lambert traveled around modern Russia to film these sinister environments, collected stories to identify the dying art of tattooing in Russian prisons, and detailed the lives of the heavily marked inmates, past and present. This fascinating, spine-tingling book provides an entirely new outlook on tattoos and what they can represent!
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By MC
Format:Paperback
Fascinating anthropological, photo-journal examination of the symbolism and code representations of Russian prison tattoos. An explicit, brutal look at a world most Russians and indeed most Westerners will never see. For an American audience, the importance of tattoo symbolism may be somewhat lost. After all, we live in a world where over privileged frat boys and corporate conformists are now "inked" with designs once almost exclusively earned by members of our own working or "criminal" classes.
Overall a fascinating read, even if the brevity of the text leaves something to be desired.
Overall a fascinating read, even if the brevity of the text leaves something to be desired.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Monty Micki
Format:Paperback
For those passionate about Russian prison culture, this is the book for you. This book provides an excellent resource for the meaning behind Russian prison tattoos and it provides valuable information on contemporary Russian prisons...which don't seem to have changed much since the end of the Gulag system. The author attempts to show as many different tattoos as possible, but it does feel repetitive. What helps is the author providing information about Russian prison culture; this brings context and a story behind the tattoos.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Cwn_Annwn
Format:Paperback
For the most part a photography book Russian Prison Tattoos besides going into the meaning of the tattoos the text of this book is also a look into Russian prison life and street level criminal culture. There is a pretty strict caste system within the Russian prison system, that I have to say seems to be a lot more orderly than the rest of Russian society. Tattoos are used to show where you sit within that caste system. Some examples are spiders denote drug addiction, a Madonna or woman holding an infant means you have been in the system since you were still a child, an executioner or a knife through a skull means you are a murderer, eyes on the lower abdomen means you are a pedophile or in for a sex crime, etc. In most cases you are more or less obligated to have these tattoos on your body to show what crime you have committed. However the old prison codes and tattooing system is slowly but surely dying off according to this book.
You also get a look into a few of the people in this books lives and hear some of their stories, like the guy who shot, killed and then beheaded three gypsies when he caught them digging up his Mothers grave in order to steal items that she had been buried with. One surprising thing about the Russian criminal system is the penalty for murder is often barely more than the penalty for seemingly petty robberies and thefts. The pictures in the book really give you a feel for what an utter hell life is in a Russian prison. High tuberculosis and hepatitus rates, potential violence from guards and inmates at all times, living in unbelievably cramped and filthy conditions. I actually began to feel like I was in a Russian prison myself while reading this.... Read more ›
You also get a look into a few of the people in this books lives and hear some of their stories, like the guy who shot, killed and then beheaded three gypsies when he caught them digging up his Mothers grave in order to steal items that she had been buried with. One surprising thing about the Russian criminal system is the penalty for murder is often barely more than the penalty for seemingly petty robberies and thefts. The pictures in the book really give you a feel for what an utter hell life is in a Russian prison. High tuberculosis and hepatitus rates, potential violence from guards and inmates at all times, living in unbelievably cramped and filthy conditions. I actually began to feel like I was in a Russian prison myself while reading this.... Read more ›
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By hombre pollo
Format:Paperback
this is an excellent book about russian prison tattoos. it has a lot of clear pictures. it also has quite informative text from good research done by the author. i reccommend this book to anyone interested in tattooing in foreign cultures and countries.
By Vlad
Format:Paperback
Amazing book written by Alix Lambert.Pretty interesting and I like the way it had been created. The tattoos with there signification and the story who goes with it between the Goat,Downcast and Vory v Zakone are well done.
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By C.D.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book was very interesting. But...simply put, not enough photos. Many of the photos included don't show any tattoos at all. Random elderly people and prisoners, jail cells, signs, etc. If you're wanting to understand the prison culture and politics, it would be wonderful!! If you're looking for an interesting photobook of people's tattoos, this is not the one to pick.
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