In Your Face: Russian Face Tattoos

A tattooed hand or neck, no one is shocked or surprised anymore. Tattoos have become normal. Maybe even boring, or fashionable. It’s a bit different with the face tattoo. Very… in your face. Or maybe not (anymore)? This is about the circles (Russian, of course) where the face tattoo has become normal and about the people who live with it every day.

Russian rappers with face tattoos

Face, Kizaru, Ганвест, Morgenshtern (who regrets it), Скруджи and many more. All of them have tattoos на лице (on their faces). It sometimes seems more important than their skills.

So far, only men are listed. No female Russian rapper with a face tattoo has been found (yet). This may have to do with an advantage men have, and women do not: tattoos can help men avoid military service.

• What do the tattoos on the faces of Russian rappers mean? (Muz-tv, 2020)
• What do the tattoos on the faces of Russian rappers mean? (Snicole.ru, 2020)
• Rappers “Face” and Timati were saved by their tattoos, but Morgenshtern has yet to be found (Kp.ru, 2019)
• Face tattoos on Russian rappers: Kizaru, Face, and others (Vsrap.ru, 2018)

Fakers

After Russia’s victory against Spain in the 2018 World Cup, Alexander Tarasov, also known as T-killah, supposedly had the words Russia and Igor tattooed on his face. Igor, after goalkeeper Akinfejev, who saved the penalties. It turned out to be false. No one was impressed by his lip service anymore; see Тату Россия (2018), text here.

Vladimir Roslyakov

On a different level is Vladimir Roslyakov (17). After seeing American rapper 6ix9ine, he decided: I need that too. He pestered his mother until she not only allowed it but also paid for it.

See Boy, 17, has his whole face tattooed like rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine (Live News 24, 2020, 2 m). Read Regrets, he’ll have a few… (The Sun, 2020) and Russian teen has face covered in tattoos (Scallywag & Vagabond, 2020). A recent addition to his collection was reported in Kid who tattooed face to look like rapper 6ix9ine gets even more bold inkings (Daily Star, 2020).

Nikolay Markelov and Lesya Toumaniantz

Before Roslyakov, Nikolay Markelov and Lesya Toumaniantz made a similar claim to fame. Markelov in 2017: see Russian man who kept thinking the slogan ‘Nothing left to lose’ gets it tattooed around his mouth (Daily Mail) and Fashion for face tattoos in Krasnoyarsk: inscriptions on the face (Телекомпания ТВК, 2017, 3 m).

Toumaniantz earlier, in 2013. See articles in The Sun and Daily Mail, and optionally watch Disaster – Face Tattoo After First Date (The Young Turks, 2013, 4 m).

Russians with face tattoos

In words and images: young people from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.

Also in Muscovites, Petersburgers, and Yekaterinburg residents with face tattoos (Kostya Tishshe, 2017, 9 m).

More Russian face tattoos

• How to live in the EU with a USSR tattoo on your face (Edart TV, 2020, 11 m)
• Face tattoos! Where did it all start? Elena Baski on face tattoos. History of tattoos (Баски О Тату, 2019, 13 m)
• How to avoid conscription? Face tattoos in the army are real! (Дима Свеш, 2019, 12 m)
• Covering face tattoos after 7 laser sessions (Забитые, 2019, 12 m)
• Life with a face tattoo. The other side. (СКАМС, 2018, 15 m)
• Face tattoo | finger tattoos — in one session (Артём Романовский, 2018, 7 m)

Channel Загоровский has a series of conversations with people who chose face tattoos.

• Student with face tattoo | Removing forehead tattoo (2019, 18 m)
• Bartender with face tattoo | Filmed in Presnyakov’s video (2019, 20 m)
• Served with a face tattoo | Barber | How grandmothers baptized and difficulties with the police (2019, 25 m)
• Vegan with a full face tattoo | Filmed for LSP and Basta (2019, 35 m)
• Face tattoo at 56 | First tattoo at 55 (2019, 16 m)
• Face tattoo at 15 years old (2017, 5 m)

Read

• Why do Russians get face tattoos? (Viktoria Ryabikova, Russia Beyond 2019)
• Where should you not get a tattoo? On the face (GQ, 2019)
• 5 Krasnoyarsk residents with face tattoos (35 photos) (Gorodprima.ru, 2017)
• Muscovites with face tattoos (The Village, 2016)
• In Russia, a new generation is emerging – one where individuality trumps tradition (Huck Magazine)