What is the Russian star tattoo?

Answer 1

There are two different variants of this design, and the locations have quite different meanings. The star to which you are referring is an 8 pointed Nautical Compass, and the 8 points represent the 8 original families of the Vor V Zakone (Thieves in Law, a.k.a., the Russian Mafia). They can be placed on the kneecaps of any member of the organization and this denotes that you kneel to no authority. When they are placed on your epaulettes atop the pectoris's, this denotes that you are at very least a Lieutenant in the organization, but sometimes a higher ranking is required for this. There is a whole world of these tattoos, and they all have special meanings that can only be clearly read by another member of the organization or someone whom specializes in these types of tattoos, which makes the wearer an open book for people who are suspicious of others to say the least. If you are really interested in these fascinating tattoos, get a copy of the documentary "Mark of Cain" or get the volumes of the Russian Tattoo Encyclopedia. These are usually amazing works of art that are done at night by hand in cramped Russian prison cells. However! No matter how much you like a design of this type, the Russians have NO sense of humor or flattery when people who are not affiliated with them get these designs! They have been known in the past, like many other hardcore groups, to literally cut the skin from your body or to stick a hot clothing iron on the skin and will pull up the design from your body, and that's if they don't do worse.