Danzig Baldaev and the Art of Russian Criminal Tattoos
www.dannydutch.com
Danzig Baldaev, born in 1925 in Ulan-Ude, Buryatiya, Russia, led a life immersed in the dark complexities of Soviet repression and the underworld of criminal prisons. His journey into the world of Russian criminal tattoos began in a most unlikely way. As the son of a so-called "enemy of the people," Baldaev's early years were marked by displacement, orphanages, and the deep scars left by Stalin’s purges. Yet, after World War II, fate directed him into the cold, harsh environment of the Soviet pe
The original post: /r/utterlyuniquephotos by /u/dannydutch1 on 2025-01-28 15:59:49.

Original Title: Danzig Baldaev in possibly the most badass photo ever. Danzig was a former Soviet prison warden, who meticulously documented over 3,000 Russian criminal tattoos between 1948-1986. These tattoos, rich with meaning, tell stories of the wearers history. More below.