Arkady Bronnikov
Arkady Bronnikov, a former forensic expert at the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, has been photographing his "models" for more than 30 years and deciphered the meaning of their prison tattoos.
Now tattoos mostly have aesthetic value and many who make them often do not give the drawings too much meaning. But in the past, tattoos had only people from places not very distant, and each drawing on the body had its own meaning and symbolism. By the way, they were often not devoid of artistic taste.
His duties included visiting correctional institutions in the Urals and Siberia. It was then, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, that he interviewed, photographed, and collected information about prisoners. From Bronnikov's archives, FUEL has compiled the book “Criminal Tattoo Police Files” (Tattoos and its criminal meaning), which can now be bought at the Garage Museum, Moscow.
Now tattoos mostly have aesthetic value and many who make them often do not give the drawings too much meaning. But in the past, tattoos had only people from places not very distant, and each drawing on the body had its own meaning and symbolism. By the way, they were often not devoid of artistic taste.
His duties included visiting correctional institutions in the Urals and Siberia. It was then, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, that he interviewed, photographed, and collected information about prisoners. From Bronnikov's archives, FUEL has compiled the book “Criminal Tattoo Police Files” (Tattoos and its criminal meaning), which can now be bought at the Garage Museum, Moscow.
Arkady Bronnikov
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«Their bodies tell the story
of their lives».
The collection assembled by Bronnikov is especially noteworthy because it had a purely functional significance. These photographs were intended exclusively for police use in the study of the language of tattoos. The photographer's sole purpose was to fix tattoos on the bodies of prisoners for a practical purpose.
Since the purely artistic element did not matter for such tattoos, they represented a direct reflection of their criminal life, here the human essence was removed and simple features were displayed: aggressiveness, vulnerability, melancholy and vanity. Their bodies tell the story of their lives.
The prison tattoo session of that time was not for the faint of heart. Needles and paint bubbles were attached to the electric shaver. To make the tattoo, local craftsmen were melting rubber and mixed it with urine. Crazy unsanitary conditions. One small tattoo could take 4-6 hours of work. The consequences of such artisanal methods were many: gangrene, tetanus, various infections.
According to Arkady Bronnikov, a prisoner without tattoos caused neglect. Many got tattoos for the sake of authority, in the zone it was catastrophically important.
Since the purely artistic element did not matter for such tattoos, they represented a direct reflection of their criminal life, here the human essence was removed and simple features were displayed: aggressiveness, vulnerability, melancholy and vanity. Their bodies tell the story of their lives.
The prison tattoo session of that time was not for the faint of heart. Needles and paint bubbles were attached to the electric shaver. To make the tattoo, local craftsmen were melting rubber and mixed it with urine. Crazy unsanitary conditions. One small tattoo could take 4-6 hours of work. The consequences of such artisanal methods were many: gangrene, tetanus, various infections.
According to Arkady Bronnikov, a prisoner without tattoos caused neglect. Many got tattoos for the sake of authority, in the zone it was catastrophically important.
Arkady Bronnikov's archive is the most comprehensive in the world, it consists of 918 photographs. His collection of tattoos has helped the police on more than one occasion. During interrogations, Bronnikov asked prisoners about the meaning of certain symbols on their bodies, trying to understand this secret language of the criminal world.
Here are several photos from the book and transcripts of the tattoos. What epaulettes, domes really mean, and how to read a person's biography from drawings: Two octagonal stars, located symmetrically on both sides under the collarbones, are a symbol of an authority thief, a professional criminal.
The crosses on the bones of the fingers symbolize how many times the convict was in the “zone”.
Here are several photos from the book and transcripts of the tattoos. What epaulettes, domes really mean, and how to read a person's biography from drawings: Two octagonal stars, located symmetrically on both sides under the collarbones, are a symbol of an authority thief, a professional criminal.
The crosses on the bones of the fingers symbolize how many times the convict was in the “zone”.
«The photographer's sole purpose was to fix tattoos on the bodies of prisoners for a practical purpose».
On the eyelids of the man (photo above) - the tattoo “Don't wake me". When such tattoos were made, a metal spoon was inserted under the eyelids so that the "needle" does not get into the eyes.
The images of the communist leaders had several purpose. Some prisoners stuffed them on their chests for "protection", as they believed that the guards were forbidden to shoot at the leaders of the proletariat.
Cat heads tattooed on the chest characterize their owner as a cunning and unprincipled person who can easily get into trust to anyone.
The images of the communist leaders had several purpose. Some prisoners stuffed them on their chests for "protection", as they believed that the guards were forbidden to shoot at the leaders of the proletariat.
Cat heads tattooed on the chest characterize their owner as a cunning and unprincipled person who can easily get into trust to anyone.
"The Madonna with the Child is one of the most popular prison tattoos and has several meanings,”- says Arkady Bronnikov.
“It can symbolize loyalty to a crime family or the fact that its owner believes in the help of the mother of God. Madonna also means that the prisoner went to jail at a young age”, - the expert adds.
“It can symbolize loyalty to a crime family or the fact that its owner believes in the help of the mother of God. Madonna also means that the prisoner went to jail at a young age”, - the expert adds.