@aiwmark: How tattoos were done in Soviet prisons. In Soviet prisons, a tattoo functioned like a passport. One glance at an inmate was enough to understand who you were dealing with. Each prison camp had a few tattoo artists. It was a respected but dangerous role. There were very few of them, because the price of a mistake could be your life. If you inked a thief’s symbol crooked and it turned into a “degraded” mark, you could be killed the same evening. If a man got an infection after a tattoo and lost his arm, it was your fault—not the ink he brought, but you personally. That’s why a tattoo artist would think a hundred times before taking the job. The ink was made from burnt rubber mixed with urine and sugar. A sewing needle was used as the needle. Hygiene wasn’t a consideration at all—one needle could be used on ten people. A simple tattoo cost a pack of tea. Serious work, like cathedral domes on the back, could cost a carton of cigarettes or a can of stewed meat. For high-status inmates, tattoos might be done out of respect. They worked at night, strictly after lights out. The inmate lay on his bunk, the artist sat beside him and started working. No anesthesia. The pain was intense. That’s why tattoo artists were respected by everyone—from the criminal elite to ordinary prisoners. They weren’t touched, pressured, or forced to work. #советскийсоюз #USSR #истории

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Wednesday 01 April 2026 10:05:31 GMT