The mark of Cain: the russian criminal tattoos (VI)

The criminal tattoos are becoming less and less popular in the russian prisons. Most of the new inmates don't know anything about the meanings of the old criminal tattoos and they are getting all kind of tattoos.

According to the old inmates, in the past times, the inmates used to have to answer for their tattoos and harsh punishments were meted out to inmates who couldn't give the right answer. The usual punishments included severe beatings, the breaking of the arms of the offenders and the cutting off of the tattoo along with the skin.