Fenya — The Prison Language (V–G–D)
The next section of our Russian prison slang glossary (Fenya) covers words from V to D, revealing how inmates communicate through coded terms and idioms.
Russian Prison Culture
Exploring the history, legends, and traditions of the criminal subculture in Russian prisons.
Featured Articles
The Prison Language, Part I: A–B
From “авторитет” to “блатной” — discover the secret prison language of Russia. The first part of our Fenya glossary explains the slang, traditions, and codes used behind bars.
Butyrka Prison — From a Hussar Settlement to Moscow’s Main Detention Center
From a 17th-century hussar village to Moscow’s largest pretrial detention center — Butyrka has witnessed revolutions, repressions, and escapes. Its history reflects every era of Russian punishment, from Tolstoy’s visits to overcrowded 1990s cells.
Russian Prison Tattoo Abbreviations — glossary and translations
A look inside the coded world of Russian prison culture — its tattoos, slang, and unwritten rules. Each symbol and phrase carries decades of history, reflecting both rebellion and hierarchy within the criminal underworld.
Russian Criminal Tattoos: Betrayal, Hatred, and Secret Codes of the Underworld
An overview of Russian prison tattoos with deep symbolic meaning — from the Crying Muse to devils and burning stakes. These tattoos reflect betrayal, hatred of authority, vengeance, and loyalty in the criminal world.
Vasya Brilliant: Life, Crimes, and Death of a Soviet Thief-in-Law
The story of Vasya Brilliant — a Soviet thief-in-law who spent his life behind bars, defended the thieves’ code, and became a legend of the criminal underworld.
Prison Tattoo Symbols — Cards, Saber, Bayonet, Barbed Wire, Bear, Arrow and Key
A breakdown of classic prison tattoo symbols — from card cheats and burglars to safecrackers and repeat offenders.
The “Bitch War” in the Gulag
A concise account of the Gulag’s internal “Bitch War”: why the criminal underworld split after WWII, how violence escalated in 1947–1953, the administration’s tactics, and what this feud changed in Soviet criminal culture.
Russian Prison Tattoo Meanings: Symbols of Power, Violence, and Defiance
Each Russian prison tattoo carries a deeper meaning. Discover the symbolism behind the tiger’s head, the chained cross, the compass rose, and other iconic designs worn by thieves, enforcers, and rebels behind bars.
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