Semiotic Aspects of Afghan Tattoos
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37482/2687-1505-V192Keywords:
semiotics of tattoos, symbol, icon, military subculture, collective memory, Soviet–Afghan War, Afghanistan, USSRAbstract
This article presents a semiotic analysis of Afghan tattoos done by Soviet soldiers in memory of their service in Afghanistan, when the Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces was deployed there (1979– 1989). As the material the author used photos of tattoos posted on six thematic websites. These tattoos were compared with similar sailor, prison and foreign military tattoos. The research found an essential difference between Afghan and prison tattoos and a strong influence of Western tattoo art on the former. At the same time, Afghan tattoos have unique forms of visual representation of the Soviet– Afghan War, which consist in using Islamic calendar, Arabic script, images of Soviet military vehicles and numerous Afghan toponyms. Interestingly, Afghan tattoos contain no official Soviet (hammer and sickle) or Eastern Orthodox (cross, angel, church, icon) symbols. Instead, we can see various animalistic images (eagle, tiger, wolf) and regimental identity insignia. Standing out among unofficial Soviet symbols represented in Afghan tattoos is the image of an eternal flame. Additionally, the research identified different modalities of perception of this war in tattoo art and Soviet/Russian cinematography: as a rule, films demonstrate the fatality of the Soviet–Afghan War, while in soldiers’ tattoos we observe a pronounced commemorative aspect and pride in their service in Afghanistan. On the whole, Afghan tattoos are an important cultural projection for understanding Soviet spiritual culture.
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