By Sara Jasmine 
Tattoo culture has changed dramatically over the decades, but some themes have remained remarkably consistent. According to Estonian tattoo artist and researcher Oskar Poll, women have long been one of the most significant sources of inspiration in tattooing, particularly within historically male-dominated tattoo cultures.
Speaking to Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR’s ETV program “OP,” Poll discussed the history of tattoos in Estonia, including the imagery associated with the Soviet era and the transformation of tattooing following the country’s independence. His research examines how tattoos reflected identity, social groups and cultural changes across different periods.
Poll has been involved in tattooing for around a decade and has devoted much of his academic work to studying the history of tattoos in Estonia. He completed his bachelor’s degree in graphic art at the Estonian Academy of Arts, followed by master’s research focusing on Soviet-era tattoo culture. He is now pursuing doctoral research examining the development of professional tattooing in Estonia after the 1990s.
One of the most notable observations from Poll’s research is the longstanding presence of women as tattoo subjects.
Discussing tattoo culture in the Soviet period, Poll said common designs included maritime imagery such as anchors, ships and seagulls. Images depicting women were also frequently used.
Poll explained that women have historically been an important source of inspiration in tattooing, particularly in Western societies where tattooing was associated for long periods with male-dominated subcultures.
His explanation places the imagery of women within the broader social history of tattooing rather than treating individual designs simply as aesthetic choices. Tattoo designs can reflect the communities, cultural influences and social environments in which they were created.
This history also illustrates how tattooing was once strongly associated with particular groups, especially men involved in military, maritime, prison or other subcultures.
Poll’s research into Soviet-era tattoo culture has found that tattoo designs were considerably more standardized than many designs seen today.
Among the recurring images were skulls, roses, cats, military symbols and anchors. Maritime motifs were particularly common, reflecting the influence of sailors and other groups connected with the sea.
A previous ERR report on Poll’s research also highlighted the connection between tattoos and identity during the Soviet era. Tattoos could communicate information about a person’s background, status or affiliation with a particular group.
For example, some prison tattoos carried specific meanings, while sailors, soldiers and other young men sometimes adopted tattoo styles associated with prisons and other subcultures.
Religious imagery could also carry a particular significance during the Soviet period. According to Poll, because religion was restricted, religious tattoos could sometimes function as a form of opposition or defiance.
The social perception of tattoos has changed considerably since the Soviet era.
Poll noted that tattoos were once viewed very differently from how they are commonly perceived today. His research has documented how tattooing existed among prisoners, sailors, soldiers and young people, while tattoos were also sometimes created outside professional settings.
In some cases, people used homemade equipment and ordinary ink. Poll has described how homemade tattoo machines were used in prisons during part of the Soviet period, while earlier tattooing could involve little more than a needle and ink.
The lack of professional equipment did not necessarily mean tattoos lacked cultural meaning. Poll’s research considers these historical tattoos as part of Estonia’s visual and cultural heritage.
His work has involved photographing tattoos and speaking directly with people who received them. During his research, he approached tattooed people across Estonia to ask about when, where and why they received their tattoos.
One of the biggest changes in Estonian tattoo culture came after the collapse of the Soviet system.
Poll’s doctoral research focuses partly on the transition period beginning in the 1990s. He is examining how Estonia’s first professional tattoo artists and studios emerged, where tattoo machines and other equipment came from, and how people began to view tattooing as a potential profession.
This period represents an important stage in the development of modern tattoo culture in Estonia because professional tattooing was not previously an established career in the same way it is today.
The development of tattoo studios also changed the relationship between tattoo artists and their clients. Instead of relying primarily on informal networks, homemade equipment or designs copied from limited sources, tattooing increasingly became a professional creative industry.
Poll said one of the most significant differences between Soviet-era tattoos and modern tattoos is the enormous range of designs available today.
During the Soviet era, people repeatedly encountered a relatively familiar collection of motifs, including skulls, roses, cats, military imagery and maritime symbols.
Today, tattoo artists and clients have access to an almost unlimited supply of visual inspiration. The internet has made it possible for people to discover tattoo traditions, artistic styles and designs from around the world.
This has also contributed to tattooing becoming more closely connected with contemporary art and popular culture.
Poll previously told ERR that modern tattoos are more closely connected to art because designs often reflect current popular culture and the subcultures influencing society.
While women were historically less likely to have tattoos in Estonia and the wider Soviet context, Poll said tattooing has become increasingly popular among women.
He described tattooing among women during the Soviet period and earlier as more of an exception. Today, however, tattoos have become significantly more mainstream.
The change reflects a broader transformation in how society views body art. Tattoos are no longer necessarily associated with a particular profession, social group or subculture.
Instead, people may choose tattoos for many different reasons, including personal memories, artistic expression, cultural identity or simply decoration.
Poll’s academic work is significant because Estonia’s tattoo history has not previously been studied in the same comprehensive way.
For his research, he collected tattoo photographs and interviewed people across Estonia. His master’s research eventually developed into a book examining tattoo culture during the Soviet era. ERR reported that Poll spent approximately six years collecting material and interviewed and photographed tattoos belonging to around 200 people.
His research challenges the idea that tattoos in Soviet Estonia belonged exclusively to prisoners.
Poll has documented tattoos among sailors, soldiers, younger people and others outside prison environments. Some tattoos were self-made, while others were influenced by books, photographs, magazines and international imagery.
The findings demonstrate how tattoo culture can provide a window into everyday life and social history.
The evolution of tattoos in Estonia mirrors broader changes in society.
During the Soviet period, certain tattoo designs were strongly connected with specific groups and environments. Tattoos could communicate belonging, experience or resistance. The limited availability of equipment and information also influenced the designs people created.
Modern tattoo culture operates in a very different environment. Professional studios are widely available, tattoo machines have become sophisticated, and the internet provides access to an enormous global library of artwork.
At the same time, some historical themes continue to appear.
The continuing popularity of images such as flowers, animals and portraits shows that certain subjects can remain relevant even as tattoo styles evolve. Poll’s observation about women as a longstanding source of inspiration illustrates how some themes have remained part of tattoo culture despite major changes in technology and social attitudes.
For Poll, tattooing is more than a contemporary fashion trend. His research treats tattoos as historical documents that can reveal information about the people and communities who created and wore them.
A tattoo can reflect where a person lived, the groups they belonged to, the cultural influences they encountered or the values they wanted to express.
That makes the study of tattoo culture relevant not only to art but also to anthropology, folklore and social history.
Poll’s continuing doctoral research is now examining how Estonia’s modern tattoo industry developed after the 1990s. His work could provide further insight into how an underground or marginalized practice became an established part of contemporary culture.
The story of tattoo culture in Estonia demonstrates how the meaning of body art can change over time.
A tattoo that once signaled membership in a particular group can eventually become a mainstream form of personal expression. Designs that were once copied from a relatively small collection of sources can now be adapted from influences around the world.
Women, who were less commonly tattooed during earlier periods, are now an increasingly visible part of tattoo culture. Meanwhile, the imagery associated with sailors, soldiers and prisoners remains an important part of the history that researchers like Poll are working to document.
As tattooing continues to evolve, researchers are increasingly looking beyond the designs themselves to understand what they reveal about society.
Poll’s work suggests that the history of tattooing is ultimately a history of people, identity and cultural change. From Soviet-era anchors and maritime imagery to today’s diverse artistic styles, tattoos offer a visual record of how society has transformed across generations.
Tattoo culture researcher: Women have always been the main source of inspiration | ERR News
From anchors to cats, Soviet-era tattoos tied to identity and defiance | ERR News
New book shines light on tattoo culture in Soviet-era Estonia | ERR News