Even in peacetime, military service is considered a special test and proof of strength and courage. Let in our country since February 23, all males are more often congratulated, but those 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 poetry, 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 also special army tattoos. It is very honorable and pleasant to wear a badge of distinction and a memory of the days of service on your skin.
The history of tattoos in the Russian army
It's hard to believe, but military personnel were tattooed in Russia back in tsarist times. Sovereign Peter I ordered all the soldiers of his army to prick a cross on their wrists and a personal number. Remarkably, these army tattoos were done in a completely primitive and barbaric way. The necessary symbols were cut out on the skin, and then into the woundsgunpowder was poured and a bandage was applied on top. The procedure was highly painful, but the tattoos were durable and noticeable. Thanks to this, the Peter's army never had problems with identifying the dead. There were also tattoos in the Red Army since 1919. At their own request, the soldiers pierced 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 those who served and the military is the blood type number. Russian soldiers began to receive such tattoos en masse in Afghanistan. The function of such tattoos was practical, and often tattoos really saved the lives of their owners. Today, the blood type is an incredibly popular tattoo in the Airborne Forces, usually done on the chest or on the shoulder. However, it is difficult to call this type of tattoo purely army. Quite often today, people who have nothing to do with the army stuff their blood type on their own skin. The meaning of the tattoo is also practical, its owners believe that the wearable image can save their life during a disaster or accident.
Modern army tattoos and their meaning
Years go by, and the motives of tattoos dedicated to military service practically do not change. The most popular are the names of divisions or full graphic images of chevrons and other insignia. Symbols are also widespread, one way or another connected with the military.theme. Here the number of variations is huge - these are weapons, military equipment, anchors and crosses for sailors, parachutes for paratroopers. Very often, army tattoos are also supplemented with 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 culture of army tattoos. The bat is a symbol of intelligence or airborne forces. 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 you have a person who participated in the battles in front of you. Marines often decorate 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. Military tattoos by type of troops often do not need professional decoding. Text inscriptions are quite popular, like: “For the Airborne Forces!”, “For the Navy!” and others. Paratroopers also often impale winged swords against the backdrop of shields and uniform berets.
