Russian criminal tattoos have a complex system of symbols which can give detailed information about the wearer. Not only do the symbols carry meaning but the area of the body on which they are placed in meaningful as well.

The initiation tattoo of a new gang member is placed on the chest and may be a Rose design. A rose on the chest is also used within the Russian Mafia. Wearing false or unearned tattoos is punishable by death in the criminal underworld.

Tattoos can be voluntarily removed (for loss of rank, new affiliation etc) by bandaging magnesium powder onto the surface of the skin, which actually disolves the skin with very painful caustic burns. This powder is gained by filing "light alloy" e.g. lawnmower casing and is a jailhouse commodity.

Tattoos done in Russian prisons have a distinctive blueish colour and usually appear somewhat blurred because of the lack of instruments to draw fine lines. The ink used is often created from burning the heel of a shoe and mixing the soot with urine and injected into the skin with a sharpened guitar string attached to an electric shaver.

Not for the feint hearted.