Viggo Mortensen's Russian Tattoos in Eastern Promises

In the movie, Viggo's character Nikolai has these super old school, really hardcore Russian prison-style tattoos.

These were done with alcohol based ink, so they lasted. The tattoos were so authentic, they scared Russian immigrants who saw them. Talk about being in character. He wore 43 tattoos, that took 4 hours to apply, they were applied using a transfer paper method.

Russian prison tattoos basically tell a man's history, etched into his skin. Viggo's tattoos in the movie include the Virgin Mary, a tiger, a black crow, cathedrals and others. Learn more about  tattoo ideas, tattoo galleries, and making the best choice.