Even in peacetime, military service is considered a special test and proof of strength and courage. Let our males more often congratulate all male representatives in our country since February 23, but those of them who are real defenders of the Fatherland deserve more respect. The army also has its own culture, in between exercises and outfits, soldiers compose and sing songs, write poems, and after the end of the service, all men gladly fill out demobilization albums and maintain contacts with colleagues. It is not surprising that there are special army tattoos. Wearing the insignia and memory of the days of service on your skin is very honorable and pleasant.
The history of tattoos in the Russian army
It's hard to believe, but
tattoos for military personnel were made in Russia in imperial times. Sovereign Peter I ordered all soldiers of his army to impose a cross on his wrist and a personal number. What is noteworthy, these army tattoos were made in a completely primitive and barbaric way. The necessary symbols were cut out on the skin, after which gunpowder fell into the wounds and a bandage was applied on top. The procedure was very painful, but the tattoos were durable and noticeable. Thanks to which the Petrine army never had any problems with the identification of the dead. There were tattoos in the Red Army since 1919. At their own request, the soldiers pricked a five-pointed star on their shoulders. But with the advent of Soviet power, army tattoos became less popular, and in some types of troops they were officially banned.
Blood type
One of the most popular tattoos among servicemen and the military is the
blood type number
. Russian soldiers began to make such tattoos en masse in Afghanistan. The function of such tattoos was practical, and often tattoos really saved their owners' lives. Today, a blood type is an incredibly popular tattoo in the Airborne Forces, it is usually done on the chest or shoulder. However, it is difficult to call this type of tattoos purely army. Quite often today, people who have nothing to do with the army are stuffed with a blood type on their own skin. The meaning of the tattoo is also practical, its owners believe that the wearable image can save their lives during a disaster or accident.
Modern army tattoos and their meaning
Years go by, and the motifs of tattoos devoted to military service practically do not change. The most popular are the names of units or full graphic images of chevrons and other insignia. Symbols are also common, one way or another connected with the military theme. Here the number of variations is huge - these are weapons, military equipment, anchors and crosses by sailors, parachutes - by paratroopers. Very often, army tattoos are also supplemented by years of service or the name of the locality in which the service took place.
Each type of troops has its own emblem.
There are some common symbols in the army tattoo culture. Bat - a symbol of intelligence or airborne. The tattoos of those who served in the North Caucasus look interesting. This is a scorpion on the chest, if the sting is directed upwards, you can be sure that this is a person who participated in the battles. Marine corps soldiers often adorn their hands with a skull in a bandana, another popular design is a globe with an anchor and a dolphin jumping out of the waves. But the image of a polar bear symbolizes service in the ranks of the
Northern Fleet. Army tattoos by military branch often do not need professional decoding. Text inscriptions are quite popular, like: “For the Airborne Forces!”, “For the Navy!” and others. Paratroopers also often throw winged swords against the background of shields and uniform berets.