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Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive

By FUEL and Danzig Baldaev and Sergei Vasilev and Arkady Bronnikov and Mark Vincent
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive delves into the intricate subculture of Russian prison tattoos. Illustrating the rich symbolism and unique visual language created within the Russian penal system, the book offers an insightful glimpse into how these tattoos serve as coded narratives, revealing personal stories, criminal hierarchies, and affiliations. It's a compelling exploration for those interested in the intersection of art, culture, and crime.
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Format: Hardback
$10000
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the intersection of art and society, particularly how tattoos serve as both personal expression and cultural documentation within the Russian criminal underworld. Through a rich collection of photographs and drawings, it offers a unique glimpse into a subculture where tattoos operate as complex symbols and storytelling devices.

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Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive presents highlights from FUEL's singular collection of authentic material on this subject. Previously unpublished in its original form, this work comprises ink on paper drawings by Danzig Baldaev, the photographic albums of Arkady Bronnikov, and prisoner portraits by Sergei Vasiliev. The selection is contextualised with insights from Mark Vincent PhD, an author and academic specialising in the Soviet Gulag, and Alison Nordström, a photography scholar, writer, and curator.

The meticulous depictions of tattoos by prison guard Danzig Baldaev are reproduced in facsimile, authenticated by his signature and stamp, alongside his handwritten notes on the reverse. The paper has yellowed with age, giving the exquisite drawings a visceral temporality—almost like skin.

Sergei Vasiliev's photographs portray inmates in startling intimacy. He achieves a remarkable level of trust within the closed criminal society, a strict hierarchy, where outsiders are viewed with hostile suspicion.

Arkady Bronnikov's collection of photographs is shown in the albums in which they were collected. Used exclusively to aid police in their investigations, they depict a motley line-up of assorted body parts.

This unique book is the only publication of primary material on this subject, highlighting the pioneering methods of these three individuals used to document this unique phenomenon.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781739887803

Publisher: FUEL Publishing

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 13 April 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: FUEL Publishing

Illustration: 235 Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Edited by Damon Murray
  • Edited by Stephen Sorrell
  • Text by Alison Nordström
  • Edited by Damon Murray
  • Edited by Stephen Sorrell

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 200.0mm

Height: 265.0mm

Weight: 1280g

Pages: 256

Collections

Arkady Bronnikov Arts & Culture Danzig Baldaev FUEL Mark Vincent Non-Fiction Sergei Vasilev

About the Author

Danzig Baldaev worked as a warden in 'Kresty' ('the Crosses') - an infamous Leningrad prison - where he began drawing the tattoos of criminals. Between 1948-2000 he travelled to reform settlements across the former USSR, using pen and ink to record the tattoos he found.

Sergei Vasiliev worked as a photographic journalist for more than 30 years. He documented Russian prisoners and their tattoos in between 1990-93. His work has been exhibited internationally including in the Saatchi Gallery, London and Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin.

Arkady Bronnikov was a police officer working in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Perm between 1963-91. During this time, he collected thousands of photographs of tattooed prisoners from across the Soviet Union.

Mark Vincent is a writer and academic. He is the author of Criminal Subculture in the Gulag (Bloomsbury). He is a lecturer at the University of East Anglia, School of History.

Alison Nordström is an independent scholar, writer and curator specializing in photography. She holds the PhD in Cultural and Visual Studies and is currently a Research Associate in Photography at Harvard University.

EDITORS: Damon Murray and Stephen Sorrell have been publishing critically acclaimed books on Soviet culture since 2004 with their Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia series. More recent titles include Chernobyl; A Stalkers' Guide, Spomenik Monument Database and Soviet Bus Stops.

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