Learn the secrets of Russian criminal tattoos. Between 1948 to 2005, 3,000 drawings were compiled by prison warden and ethnographer Danzing Baldaev of the tattoos of Russian prison inmates. Supported by the KGB, who recognised the usefulness of such a document, these drawings were supplemented by photographs by Sergei Vasiliev, a fellow warden. The tattoos depicted are a language in themselves, comprising of a rich array of symbols and illustrations that denoted a prisoner’s crimes and political allegiances, as well as his or her rank in the prison hierarchy.

The Michael Hoppen Gallery is currently holding an exhibition of Sergei Vasiliev’s photographs from this fascinating archive. The exhibition ends in a few days (7th March 2009), so if you’ld like to see the works, you’d better get your skates on.

See exhibition information for the Sergei Vasiliev-Russian Criminal Tattoos exhibition.