#Skull and bones dagger skin#

Manacles are another sign of sentencing, and are sometimes paired with cathedrals found on the hands. These tattoos can be found anywhere on the body. The more domes an inmate’s church has indicates the number of sentences they have served over their lifetime. If the spider is crawling down, this means the thief is done with the criminal life.Ĭathedrals (Kremlin) (Photo History Channel/YouTube)Ĭathedrals, or Kremlins, represent time spent incarcerated and are iconic Russian prison tattoos. If the spider is crawling up the shoulder, the thief is still active. The spider crawling on the right shoulder is indicative of a thief. Tigers, leopards or snarling wolves are called Oskals, the Russian word for ‘Big Grin.’ These tattoos indicate aggression or hostility toward the authorities.

Oskal (Big Grin) (Photo History Channel/YouTube)

Known ranks were captains, lieutenants and colonels. The authorities would not shoot at any images of their leaders instead, they would shoot prisoners in the back of the head.Įpaulettes (Photo History Channel/YouTube)Īn epaulette, or ornamental shoulder piece typically found on a military uniform, are used to signify rank within the Thieves In Law. In the 1900s, prisoners believed placing tattooed portraits of Lenin and Stalin on their chests would protect them from a firing squad. Portraits of Stalin and Lenin (Photo History Channel/YouTube) The tattoos must be earned, and an inmate wearing an undeserved tattoo risks a beating or worse. Only the most respected can wear the thieves’ stars in that area of the body. The implied meaning is “I will never get on my knees in front of anyone.” When worn on the knees, the stars are a sign of a prisoner who commands respect. Thieves’ stars (Photo History Channel/YouTube)ĭepending on the location on the body, the stars convey a prisoner’s status. Here are 12 Russian prison tattoos and their perceived meanings.

#Skull and bones dagger skin#

Still, it's interesting to look at the past and see what inmates used to ink on their skin in order to have a foundation of information to build off of.

These days, the tattoo guidelines of the Thieves in Law are no longer followed and inmates are creating their own images with varied meaning. Use this information to keep yourselves and your coworkers safeīetween the image itself and the placement on a person's body, each tattoo tells a distinctive story and imparted important information to other inmates inside a correctional facility.