Tattooing has long ceased to be a mark of marginality and has become a full-fledged object of academic study. In Estonia, this issue is being addressed by Oskar Poll, a master with ten years of experience, who is simultaneously conducting scientific research on the history of local tattoo culture. His observations show how, over several decades, not only the set of motifs has changed, but also the very social context in which people decide to get a tattoo.
oskar poll
The Evolution of Tattoos in Estonia: From Soviet Anchors to 90s Studios
In Estonia, tattoos have ceased to be a marginal sign and have become an object of academic interest. This is according to Oskar Poll, a tattoo artist and researcher of local tattoo culture, who has been working in a studio for about ten years and simultaneously studying how motifs, techniques, and the profession of tattoo artist itself have transformed over the past decades. Poll received his bachelor’s degree in graphic arts from the Estonian Academy of Arts, and dedicated both his bachelor’s and master’s theses to the history of tattooing in Estonia. He is now developing the topic in his doctoral dissertation, and it is this scientific perspective that allows him to see the bigger picture beyond just a craftsman working with skin.
Tattoos in the USSR: The Cat as a Thief’s Symbol and Other Secrets of Prison Folklore
In an era when freedom of expression was under strict control, tattoos became more than just decoration – they transformed into a language understood only by the chosen few. In prisons, barracks, and even among sailors, each drawing carried a hidden meaning, and its owner automatically entered the closed club of “insiders.” This is precisely what Oskar Poll – an artist, researcher, and junior research fellow at the Estonian Literary Museum, who has dedicated himself to studying Soviet tattoo culture since 2019 – talks about.