Tattoos Are Not Taboo in Russia

The oldest Russian tattoo festival took place in Moscow on April 20th and 21st, 2024. For the first time, this festival brought together like-minded people from all over Russia back in 2003. Until 2017, this event was held exclusively in St. Petersburg, but there were so many fans of tattoo culture that the organizers decided to hold an additional festival in the capital of Russia.

Here we met world-famous names and those who just picked up a tattoo machine, who painted over half of the body and who only chooses a master for the first tattoo, the brightest and most extravagant informals and those who hide a dragon under an office suit, artists and musicians and just interesting people – different and bright, united by the idea self-expression through body painting.

In addition to craftsmen, various equipment suppliers also attended the festivals. So the masters directly had the opportunity to learn about technical innovations in the tattoo industry, communicate and exchange experiences and establish business contacts.

During the festival, qualified craftsmen and founders of the professional tattoo industry in Russia, who are part of a special jury, evaluated the tattoos of the participants. There were many nominations: the best small tattoos, the best large, the best colored, the best black and white tattoos, the best portraits and even the most unsuccessful tattoos. The winner in the nomination "The worst tattoo" as a prize received a certificate for its laser removal in the studio of one of the sponsors of the festival.

Over three hundred masters from different regions took part in the two days of the festival. A thousand people took part in the contests, and the whole event gathered more than three thousand spectators.