the sentence was paid in full. The phrase, "The Church is the House of God," often inscribed beneath a cathedral, has the metaphorical meaning, "Prison is the Home of the Thief." Cross: A small cross either on the forehead, finger, or between the thumb and forefinger is sometimes seen on convicts as a symbol of serving time in prison. There is another category of tattoos—of rings on the fingers and symbols on the hands—which informs other inmates of the bearer's rank when the bearer is clothed: A cross on the chest can represent a high ranking in the Russian mob. Crosses on knuckles: 'Trips to the zone'. 'I've been in prison three times'. Devil's head: 'Grin'. 'I hold a grudge against the authorities'. Dots on knuckles: number of years served in prison. Epaulets: Military badge and uniform are worn on the shoulders. This symbolizes criminal accomplishments. When a skull symbol is portrayed with it, it usually designates a man as a murderer. Epaulets are decorated with certain crests and symbols in the sections where one can see the skull there before conviction, especially when it was of any significance. Five dots: Represents time done in prison. Four of the dots represent walls, while the fifth represents the prisoner. Madonna and baby Jesus indicates that the bearer is 'clean before his friends' in that he will never betray them to authorities. May also symbolize having become a criminal early in life. Mermaid: indicates a conviction of child molestation MIR: The Russian word for "peace," an acronym that indicates "only a firing squad will reform me." Dagger in neck: Signifies that the bearer has killed and is available for hire to kill other prisoners. Executioner: Murderer, or that they follow the Thieves' Code Goat: Informer, an animal without honor. Probably begrudged as a mark of humiliation. Lenin, Stalin, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels: Usually tattooed across the chest or over vital organs. Mostly characteristic of the Old Regime; prisoners would tattoo them because it was believed the firing squads could not shoot the images of USSR's founding fathers. Spider or spider web: may symbolize racism or doing time in prison Spider Web: If the spider is in the center, the bearer is dedicated to a life of crime; if it is climbing out of the web, the bearer is trying to reform himself. A few other versions are that the wearer is