How tattoos are treated in different countries. Tattoo Bans: The Experience of the USA, Germany and Other Countries Dragons and Samurai

Despite the relentless use of mafia images by Hollywood that have long become cliches, there are still illegal gangs in the world that control industry, engage in smuggling, cybercrime, and even shape the global economy of countries.

So where are they located and which ones are the most famous in the world?

This is not a myth, they exist and, by the way, were among the first to make significant efforts to help after the tsunami in Japan in 2011. The traditional areas of interest of the yakuza are underground gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, arms and ammunition trafficking, racketeering, the production or sale of counterfeit products, car theft and smuggling. More sophisticated gangsters trade in financial fraud. Members of the group are distinguished by beautiful tattoos, which are usually hidden under clothing.

Mungiki

This is one of the most aggressive sects in Kenya, which arose in 1985 in the settlements of the Kikuyu people in the central part of the country. The Kikuyu gathered their own militia in order to protect the Masai lands from government militants who wanted to crush the resistance of the recalcitrant tribe. The sect, in essence, was a street gang. Later, large detachments were formed in Nairobi, which engaged in racketeering of local transport companies that transport passengers around the city (taxi firms, car parks). Then they switched to garbage collection and disposal. Each slum dweller was also required to pay the representatives of the sect a certain amount in exchange for a quiet life in their own shack.

Russian Mafia

It is officially the most feared organized crime group in the world. Former FBI special agents call the Russian mafia "the most dangerous people on Earth." In the West, the term "Russian mafia" can mean any criminal organization, both Russian itself and from other states of the post-Soviet space, or from the immigration environment in far abroad countries. Some get hierarchical tattoos, often use military tactics and perform contract killings.

Hell's Angels

Considered an organized crime group in the United States. This is one of the largest motorcycle clubs in the world (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club), which has an almost mythical history and branches all over the world. According to the legend posted on the official website of the motorcycle club, during the Second World War, the US Air Force had the 303rd heavy bomber squadron with the name "Hell's Angels". After the end of the war and the disbandment of the unit, the pilots were left without work. They believe that their homeland betrayed them and left them to the mercy of fate. They had no choice but to go against their "cruel country, get on motorcycles, join motorcycle clubs and rebel." Along with legal activities (motorcycle dealerships, motorcycle repair shops, sale of goods with symbols), the Hells Angels are known for illegal activities (sale of weapons, drugs, racketeering, prostitution control, and so on).

Sicilian Mafia: La Cosa Nostra

The organization began its activities in the second half of the 19th century, when the Sicilian and American mafia were the strongest. Initially, Cosa Nostra was engaged in the protection (including the most cruel methods) of the owners of orange plantations and nobles who owned large land plots. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had turned into an international criminal group, whose main activity was banditry. The organization has a clear hierarchical structure. Its members often resort to highly ritualistic methods of revenge, and also have a series of elaborate rites of initiation for males into the group. They also have their own code of silence and secrecy.

Albanian mafia

There are 15 clans in Albania that control most of the Albanian organized crime. They keep drug trafficking under their control, they are engaged in trafficking in people and weapons. They also coordinate the supply of large quantities of heroin to Europe.

Serbian mafia

Various criminal gangs based in Serbia and Montenegro, consisting of ethnic Serbs and Montenegrins. Their activities are quite diverse: drug trafficking, smuggling, racketeering, contract killings, gambling and information trafficking. To date, there are about 30-40 active criminal groups in Serbia.

Montreal Mafia Rizzuto

The Rizzuto are a crime family primarily based in Montreal but running the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. They once merged with families in New York, which eventually led to the mafia wars in Montreal in the late 70s. Rizzuto owns hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate in different countries. They own hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, construction, food, service and trading companies. In Italy, they own firms for the production of furniture and Italian delicacies.

Mexican drug cartels

Mexican drug cartels have existed for several decades; since the 1970s, certain state structures of Mexico have been assisting their activities. Mexican drug cartels intensified after the collapse in the 1990s of the Colombian drug cartels - Medellin and Cali. Currently, Mexico is the main foreign supplier of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine to the US, and Mexican drug cartels dominate the US wholesale illicit drug market.

Mara Salvatrucha

Slang for "Salvadorian roaming ant brigade" and is often shortened to MS-13. This gang is mainly based in Central America and is based in Los Angeles (although they operate in other parts of North America and Mexico). According to various estimates, the number of this cruel criminal syndicate ranges from 50 to 300 thousand people. Mara Salvatrucha is involved in many types of criminal business, including drug trafficking, arms and human trafficking, robbery, racketeering, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, car theft, money laundering and fraud. A distinctive feature of the members of the group are tattoos all over the body, including on the face and the inside of the lips. They not only show a person's belonging to a gang, but also tell in their details about his criminal biography, influence and status in the community.

Colombian drug cartels

As of 2011, Colombia remained the largest producer of cocaine in the world. She had a special influence in the world. However, a strong anti-drug campaign has led to the liquidation of many of the most dangerous producers, such as the Medellin and Cali cartels. As you know, these families hired the most experienced experts on illegal trade.

Chinese Triad

The triad is a form of secret criminal organization in China and in the Chinese diaspora. Triads have always been characterized by common beliefs (belief in the mystical meaning of the number 3, hence their name). At present, the triads are known mainly as mafia-type criminal organizations prevalent in Taiwan, the United States and other centers of Chinese immigration, specializing in drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

D Company

This group, which is based in India, Pakistan and the UAE, is led by Dawood Ibrahim. The activity of the organization is extortion and terrorist acts. So in 1993 it was responsible for the bombings in Bombay, which killed 257 people and injured more than 700. D-Company is said to be funded by billions of dollars from real estate and banking scams.

Over the centuries, many aspects in the life of mankind have changed, including the attitude to tattooing. The progress or decline of tattooing was influenced by the evolutionary, cultural and religious development of society. The art of tattooing has not disappeared until now, continues to develop and improve.

The attitude to tattooing, as well as tattooing itself, dates back thousands of years. An indelible drawing that reminds of something, prayer words that are constantly in front of your eyes, a magical sign or a work of art - all this is a tattoo.

The peoples of different countries relate differently to the above symbols:

England has ancient traditions of tattooing, the people of which use them as a symbolic amulet. In accordance with existing beliefs, it is necessary to know which of the symbols suits a particular person;
the peoples of the eastern region often use quotations from the Qur'an, which, in their opinion, point the way to Allah;
Sri Lanka refuses to accept tourists with Buddha tattoos because their religious traditions forbid wearing such images;
India has a positive attitude towards wearable images, especially beautifully designed ones. For the most part, local women use tattoos, men are somewhat less common;
Japan has formed a negative attitude towards tattoos. A person who has a drawing on his body is prohibited from working in a government institution, swimming in public places in Japanese hotels;
in many countries it is forbidden to make a tattoo in the form of a swastika and Nazi symbols;
the peoples of Europe and the USA are indifferent to body modification, according to statistics, every second inhabitant of these countries is decorated with a tattoo;
Mexico, in which different religions get along together, has exactly the same calm attitude towards tattooing. Drawings are usually chosen bright, with rich colors;
countries whose peoples profess the Koran forbid tattooing, so as not to discredit the body created by the Creator in perfection;
many modern tribes of the regions surrounding the Pacific Ocean paint their faces completely, considering this a sign of militancy and courage;
Eskimos use tattooing as a medical treatment. This form of application and purpose of the skin pattern came from the ancient world. The meaning of the drawing, like the drawing itself, has not changed over the past centuries, which indicates the stability of traditions.

Since different nationalities have completely different attitudes towards wearable images, it is therefore worth considering both the need for the tattooing process itself and the place on which the image will be stuffed. If there are plans to travel the world for the purpose of knowing it or for work, then you need to think carefully before applying the drawing.

Tattooing has always teetered on the brink of prohibition and for most of its history has been the lot of outlaws. In this article, we will not talk about boring and understandable restrictions like age and medical requirements. Here we look at the bans in five different countries that in one way or another influenced the very essence and culture of tattooing and regulated it.

banned from 1961 to 1996

The most famous story about the prohibition of tattoos is connected with New York. At the same time, the story is completely absurd - in one of the main centers for the development of tattoos, where drawings on the skin have already been stuffed for a good hundred years, tattoos were banned at the behest of the Ministry of Health. The ministers decided that tattoo artists were guilty of spreading hepatitis among the population and banned tattooing on the skin.

The history of the tattoo, of course, did not end there, but only went underground. Rock and roll, and then MTV, promoted forbidden art in every possible way. Cars hummed in the secret basements, though major activists were arrested in a showy manner, such as Spider Webb, who defiantly tattooed porn star Annie Sprinkle on the steps of MoMA. Despite all the prohibitions, in 1985 a street convention of tattoo artists took place, among which by that year there were 50 successful artists with a tight schedule, and by the beginning of the nineties there were even more. In the 90s, tattoo culture in the United States was about the same as we have today - it became mainstream. It was simply impossible to prohibit this further, and the law was repealed in 1996.

Spider Webb TATTOES PORN STAR ANNIE SPRINKLE

banned from 1936 to 1950

The Japanese history of tattoos dates back thousands of years, and in the form in which it is familiar to us - complex and large-scale color images - it developed already by the 18th century. At the same time, the tattoo was outlawed for a long time, and almost every hundred years a new bill on this topic was issued. Until the 16th century, criminals were forcibly marked with a tattoo, and they were already clandestinely interrupting these marks with large drawings. Paradoxically, another veto, a 17th-century ban on ornate clothing for the uncrowned, influenced the flowering of illicit art, leaving the middle class forced to adorn their bodies instead of clothing.

By the end of the 19th century, the ban on tattooing was tightened - and not only in connection with criminals. Many Europeans began to visit Japan, and the emperor was afraid that tattooed people would look wild in their eyes. At the same time, some tattoo parlors continued to officially work, but they could only accept foreigners. In 1936, tattoos were banned once again - they didn’t want to take criminals into the army and people with tattoos as a result of this, too, therefore, in order not to waste time and not figure out who the yakuza is and who is a decent person, everyone was forbidden to get tattoos. Since then, tattoo artists have gone underground. Despite the lifting of the ban in the 50s, today the masters continue to work semi-secretly. It seems that there are no official laws prohibiting their activities, but this activity is not approved, and especially its result. People with tattoos are often banned from gyms and swimming pools, and some organizations may even put a person out of a job.

Until the 16th century, tattoos were forcibly labeled criminals.

banned since 1996

Denmark for many years remained one of the main centers of tattooing - it has been done there since at least the 1890s, and for at least a hundred years it has been the main Scandinavian country in this matter. Among other things, Denmark is the place where one of the oldest tattoo studios in the world, Tatu Ole, operates. The studio is owned by the famous tattoo artist, who made a drawing for the country's king Frederick IX. After the king was photographed with a tattoo on his chest in 1951, the art received tacit legality, but an official law allowing tattoos to be applied to the body was never passed.

Since 1996, it has been forbidden in Denmark to make tattoos on visible parts of the body: the face and head, neck, wrists and hands. Tattoo artists solve these problems in different ways: someone pays fines of 1000 crowns ($131), someone, like the famous Colin Dale, rides to neighboring Sweden or Finland so as not to break the law. Another law came out relatively recently - in 2010 - and is associated with a ban on former prisoners to get biker or immigrant gang tattoos in visible places - this time including the arms and shoulders.

King Frederick IX of Denmark

Germany

symbols of the Third Reich are prohibited

The ban on tattoos in Germany is associated with the most painful issue in the history of the country - the Third Reich. The taboo symbols include the swastika, SS runes, the Celtic cross, skulls, the eagle - and in a well-known modification. Swastikas in religious variations of Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions are allowed, as religious symbols cannot be tabooed in Germany.

There are quite a few stories on this topic - a young man on the beach between Berlin and Hanover undressed and received a year of probation for his swastika. In court, the guy claimed that he had sealed his tattoo with a band-aid, but the band-aid was not very strong - to which the representative of the court objected to him that someone who has such a tattoo has no right to go naked. This statement, by the way, is the whole essence of the ban on tattoos with this symbolism: no one forbids stuffing or applying such images to oneself, but such tattoos are forbidden to be shown. Another equally well-known story is with a doctor who, during an operation, saw a forbidden symbol on a patient and left the operating room. His work was continued by another surgeon.

The third story that illustrates all the nuances of this regulation is about the Russian opera singer Yevgeny Nikitin, who had to abandon his performance because he had a swastika tattoo in his youth. The nuance lies in the fact that he had already interrupted the swastika for another drawing, and in fact it no longer exists. With all due respect and sympathy for the tragedy of the nation, this attitude is a bit like mass hysteria and individual tattoo artists are trying to fight it. Mark Little Swastika is noteworthy in this regard - not only did he put himself a word that cannot be named in the name of the studio, he also tries to weave this symbol into each of his tattoos, trying to clear it of negative connotations.

Mark Little Swastika

banned since 2011 for military personnel

Until recently, India has illustrated the other extreme - there has never been and today there are no laws regulating the work of a tattoo artist. Terrible tales of craftsmen who work with one needle all their lives can be heard as an example in defense of legal restrictions. In fact, where else in 2013 can one find doctors talking about the fact that tattoo artists infect the population with hepatitis (recall, in the USA, doctors were concerned about this fact 50 years ago). With all this, the context of tattooing in India is very interesting: if all over the world it is at least a little marginal art, then here it is the absolute mainstream.

On the one hand, there are godforsaken villages where ancient tattooing traditions continue to flourish to this day - including the tattooing of minors; on the other hand, all of Bollywood is covered in tattoos - Indian actor Sanjay Dutt, for example, already has 16 of them, and most interestingly, he got most of them after 40 years. Tattoos are often perceived as attributes of the luxurious life of movie stars and therefore are not cheap. In official establishments, a tattoo can cost up to 2,000 lakhs (about $2,500), while in illegal establishments it will cost a hundred times less - about 25 dollars. rarely. The first reaction of the authorities to what was happening was a law passed in August 2011 stating that persons with tattoos on their bodies could not enter the military service - which is again associated with widespread concern about hepatitis and similar diseases that a soldier can show up after a long time. years of service.

Recently, the tattoo has become a common attribute of a modern person. Meanwhile, a harmless, at first glance, decoration can actually lead to serious trouble. Of course, traditionally prison tattoos are dangerous first of all in Russia, but even abroad, the pattern on the skin can turn into a time bomb. Here, for example, because of these tattoos, the wearer is guaranteed trouble.

Abbreviations

Many abbreviation tattoos pose a considerable danger to the wearer. Certainly you shouldn’t do anything from the series “GOD” (He was condemned by the state), “BEETLE” (I wish you successful thefts), “EVIL” (I’ll take revenge on all the cops), “IRA” (I’m going to cut the asset), “CAT” (Indigenous inhabitant of the prison), “LORD” - (Native children will take revenge on the cops), “WORLD” (I will be corrected by execution), “ACE” (Prison teaches the law).

Knife in the neck

Now such drawings are quite common. However, just a few years ago, the owner of the tattoo could well have been “ask” for the drawing, since it meant a murder committed in prison.

MS13

This gang is considered one of the most violent in the United States. In the culture of the group, there are a number of special tattoos that are highly discouraged for ordinary people. Members of MS13, believing they are dealing with an impostor, burn the drawing out with gasoline.

Genie, mage, sorcerer

All this sorcery (as well as various magical devices, such as a flask with a retort) will mean only one thing for a knowledgeable person: a drug addict is in front of him. Do you need such fame?

A tear

This is what the outcasts of North America and Australia ask for. The fact is that a tear on the face indicates a committed murder - at large or already in prison determines the type of drawing.

Cross on the chest

In Russian prisons, the cross on the chest is still considered a symbol of a thief in law. Of course, the owners of such tattoos are forced to “explain” the suit and then the drawing is forcibly removed.

Group symbols

Sometimes people are ready for any madness for the sake of their idols. So, thirty-year-old Joe Svantesson made himself a tattoo of his favorite band, Insane Clown Posse. However, this symbolism is quite dangerous in a marginal environment, and Joe was convinced of this on his own skin: the guy was attacked by members of a street gang, believing that he was not worthy of a tattoo. The result is a broken jaw and a cut out part of the pattern on the skin.

Buddha

At first glance, the Buddha tattoo is completely harmless. However, on the territory of Sri Lanka, not only the image, but even the name of the saint on the body will become a serious problem for the tourist. In fact, in recent years, the country's authorities have more than once expelled such "painted" ones.

rings

Each type of ring denotes a specific position that the owner of the tattoo takes in the criminal world. Out of ignorance, it is quite possible to acquire a symbol of non-traditional orientation, or, on the contrary, to assign yourself a high title.

Dragons and Samurai

The tattoo for the Japanese is still the main symbol of the yakuza. Here it is simply not customary to disfigure the skin with ink: tattooed people, for example, are not even allowed into public baths. It will be impossible for tourists to explain that they made this tattoo just for themselves.

Tattoos today will surprise no one. However, they still cause mixed feelings. No matter what they say about them! We will tell you the most interesting.

People began to decorate their bodies with permanent images more than 4 thousand years ago, as evidenced by the excavations of the Egyptian pyramids. However, a tattoo was used before - in primitive society to designate a tribe, clan, social affiliation, and also as a totem amulet. The first official sources about tattoos described the drawings of Polynesia, hence the name, "tattoo" - from the word "tatu", which means "drawing". James Cook pointed to the existence of tattoos in his 1773 round-the-world notes. It is noteworthy that in Europe the tattoo existed before that moment, but did not have a recognized name and wide distribution. By the way, in Russia, the first famous tattoo connoisseur would be Leo Tolstoy's uncle Fyodor Tolstoy-American.

Tattoos in Rus'

Arab diplomat Ibn Fadlan in the message of 921-922. wrote about the Rus "And from the edge of the nail (nails) of one of them (Rus) to his neck (there is) a collection of trees and images (things, people?) and the like ...". True, his "Rus" are rather Scandinavians. It is noteworthy that tattoos in Rus' were more often worn by women. Images of amulets were applied to their bodies.

The roots of Russian tattoos go back to pagan times, when drawing on the body was a kind of ritual and an integral part of magical rites. After the formation of Kievan Rus, the tattoo lost its original meaning, and from the moment of Baptism it was completely banned as an attribute of the pagan faith. It was only during the time of Peter I that the art of tattooing began to be revived as an artistic practice.

japanese geisha

Initially, the Japanese geisha tattoo performed a practical function - bypassing the ban on the naked body. The ornate patterns created the illusion of being covered with a multi-coloured fabric. Only the palms, face, neck and feet remained "bare". A special variety of Japanese tattoos were kakushi-boro, created by rubbing rice powder into incisions. Such tattoos appeared on a hot body, while in the normal state and at normal temperature they were barely noticeable. In addition, a geisha tattoo could be one of the five proofs of love (the other four are cutting hair, nails, writing an oath of love and fidelity, and even cutting off the little finger).

Famous tattooed

Contrary to the opinion about the tattoo as an attribute of the subculture, many famous personalities adorned their bodies with drawings. Emperor Nicholas II had a sword and a dragon on his chest, later the name of his wife was added to them. Winston Churchill wore an anchor design on his body, and his mother stuffed the image of a narrow bracelet on the wrist, which could be hidden behind a more massive accessory. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, had a large tattoo depicting the family coat of arms on his chest (pictured).

But our contemporary, Iosif Kobzon, once had “I will not forget my mother” written in blue ink on his shoulder, later the artist got rid of this inscription. According to unconfirmed reports, tattoos flaunted on the bodies of Albert Einstein, Catherine II, Peter I and Joseph Stalin.

Most tattooed

At the moment, several cases of fanatical body decoration with tattoos have been recorded in the world. The most famous tattoo fan is Australian Lucky Diamond Rich, who spent about 1,000 hours covering his body with tattoos (pictured).

Rick Genest, aka Zombie Man, endured a 24-hour body painting session. Denis Avner, the cat-man, went even further, in addition to tattoos, "decorating" his body and face with piercings and multiple implants. Leopard-man Tom Leppard, lizard-man Eric Sprague and zebra-man Horace Ridler were also noted among the adherents of reincarnations. And Julia Gnuse is considered the most tattooed lady, and the woman began to cover her body with drawings not out of a whim, but because of a rare skin disease that injured the skin, leaving scars all over Julia's body.

Tattoo and church

Information about the negative attitude of the Christian church to the tattoo is not always true. For example, when accepting natives into their religion, Catholics applied images of crosses to their bodies. It was believed that, having a tattoo, a person would no longer be able to convert to another faith. The Catholic Church not only does not prohibit, but also promotes the application of religious tattoos with a church bias - at the moment there are about a hundred officially registered associations in the world where you can get a church tattoo and even consecrate it immediately after application. The Orthodox Church still classifies the tattoo as a retreat into paganism and treats this kind of jewelry negatively. If the body is the temple of God, then the inscriptions and drawings on it can be interpreted as mockery.

Magnetic resonance imaging

We often hear that MRI is contraindicated in the presence of a tattoo on the body. This is true in the case of using inks containing metal enzymes. The fact is that the magnetic rays of the tomograph attract metal particles in the paint, which causes unpleasant painful sensations. In addition, these particles can cause distortion of artifacts and affect the scan results.

In modern salons, paint with metal enzymes is used extremely rarely. If your tattoo is more than 20 years old, then metal particles are no longer in it. But if there are doubts and concerns, choose an alternative - ultrasound or computed tomography. They are advised to patients in the presence of metal implants or pacemakers.