RUSSIAN TATTOOS BY LAURA GROGAN

With our Russian theme I initially thought I would base my submission on some kind of soviet spy photo shoot. The more research I did about spies, the more information that I kept coming across about the Russian Mafia.  Seemingly more deadly than the Italians, with more military organisation than the Americans gangs and an intriguing appeal that can only be surrounded by the iron curtain.

I remembered watching the film Eastern Promises a while ago & one of the most interesting scenes was that explaining the intricate symbolism of all the Mafia's tattoos. So... with this in mind... here is this months submission....

 

A collaboration with Tattooist Kris Olsen, with the donation of flesh from Terry & Ben.

We have recreated just a few of the Russian criminal Mafia's iconic tattoos.

 

Although our method was slightly different from the traditional Russian prison way (burning the heel of a shoe, mixing the soot with urine & injecting into the skin with the use of a guitar string & an electric razor- we just used sharpie permanent textas) the symbols are the same.

 

Dagger for a sex offender, a spider web for a junkie, stars on the knees symbolise the wearer will bow down to no man and each point refers to a predominant rival gang member he or she has murdered. Criminal accomplishments meaning the wearing rose further in the ranks of mafia are symbolised by military insignia & uniform.  The Russian Cathedral spires are symbolic of the amount of years the wearer has spent in prison.

 

Thank you very much to Kris, whose time & talent were invaluable as well as the very handsome bodies of Terry & Ben.

Laura.