In Brussels - an exhibition dedicated to Soviet criminal culture and the language of tattoos 0 28

“In the Company of Criminals” is the name of the photo exhibition taking place from October 9 to November 9, 2025, in Brussels.

Belgian artist and director Nicolas Viers, founder of Balkan Trafik, immerses visitors in the secret universe of “thieves in law,” who were once at the heart of the criminal world during the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. The stories written on their tattooed bodies reveal glimpses of those who lived and continue to live on the fringes of society, raising questions about crime, stigmatization, and empathy.

Nicolas Viers developed the project in Moldova, establishing connections within the thief community of Chisinau and Tiraspol. Their tattoos - symbols of belonging, rank, and history - are living archives that preserve memories of a vanishing world. The brotherhood of “thieves in law” was once a parallel power in the Gulags of the Stalin era.

The exhibition features 140 black-and-white photographs with captions detailing the heroes and the symbols adorning their bodies, as well as 10 video interviews with subtitles and 10 drawn portraits by Yuri Palkov, complementing the visual narrative.

The social, artistic, and ethical exploration of “In the Company of Criminals” is more than a documentary: it is an invitation to rethink notions of crime, social isolation, and justice. Viers urges visitors to look beyond stereotypes, considering the blurred line between marginalized former prisoners and influential “respectable” criminals at the center of society. The project questions who today are the “real” criminals - those living on the margins or those in privileged positions who evade punishment?

Judging by their reflections on the past, they truly lived in a parallel world, with their own code, rules, and way of speaking. They have a very specific slang. Therefore, returning to society is incredibly difficult for them: they do not understand the world beyond their bubble. When I met them on the street or in their homes, it was clear how hard it was for them to continue a normal life.