Lesya Toumaniantz’s radical facial tattoo has recently gone viral, posted on thousands of Facebook pages with captions like “next level face tattoo” from Russia. So I thought it was time to tell the real story behind this remarkable tattoo.
About a month ago, Rouslan Toumaniantz, a well known and sometimes notorious Belgium-based tattoo artist (of Tattoo Box in Kortrijk), and Lesya, a designer living at the time in Saransk, a city in central Russia started talking via chat (Rouslan speaks fluent Russian) and realized they had a lot in common, and quickly began falling head over heels in love. About a week ago they met in person in Moscow and decided to get married — their plans for their life together include her learning to tattoo (Rouslan tells me she’s already a talented artist), apprenticing under her husband-to-be, while she also gets the full-body ink that she’s always dreamed of (biomech is the current plan) — and of course a family.
Her new facial tattoo that’s getting all the attention, a huge commitment for both a person with limited experience as a publicly modified person and for a new relationship screams out the intensity of their commitment to their new life, reads “RUSLAN”, the name of her betrothed. At first glance the tattoo echoes Latin American gang tattooing — MS-13 is the first thing that’s come to many people’s minds — and I worry that it could complicate future travel in the Americas, to say nothing of putting her in danger in some cities (of course, these are places where deaf people speaking sign language occasionally are stabbed when foolish gangmembers assume they’re throwing rival gang-signs). But to be clear, the tattoo has nothing about committing to a life in a gang — it’s a commitment to love.
I know that there are people who are terrified that Lesya has made a rash decision that she’ll regret horribly, but sometimes the best decisions are the ones you make in an instant with your heart rather than the ones long-debated in your mind. I know many people whose favorite mods are the ones they got “on a whim”, and who are still happily married to the person they fell for the instant they saw — “love at first sight” is an old truism — and proposed to within the week. I wish them the best of luck and hope that their life plays out as they dream it to be.
Edit/Update: People have asked why it says “RUSLAN” when I’m writing his name as “Rouslan”. It’s simply because one is the French spelling, and the other is the Russian/English spelling of the name — they chose the latter because it fit better on her face.
Continue after the break for a more explicit photo.
Comments
435 responses to “Lesya and Rouslan”
I am fascinated by face tattoos but don’t have the courage to have one myself, even though well on my way to a bodysuit.
This face tattoo makes me uneasy, though. It tends to obliterate a lot of her face rather than enhance it. Also share view that face tattoos are best done only when you have extensive body tattoos.
But I wish her happiness.
I am fascinated by face tattoos but don’t have the courage to have one myself, even though well on my way to a bodysuit.
This face tattoo makes me uneasy, though. It tends to obliterate a lot of her face rather than enhance it. Also share view that face tattoos are best done only when you have extensive body tattoos.
But I wish her happiness.
P.s. just to be clear I mean mentally abusive to both of him. It’s takes two.
P.s. just to be clear I mean mentally abusive to both of him. It’s takes two.
P.s. just to be clear I mean mentally abusive to both of him. It’s takes two.
“Both of them”
“Both of them”
“Both of them”
She has no tattoos otherwise. What a dope.
She has no tattoos otherwise. What a dope.
She has no tattoos otherwise. What a dope.
the guy marked his territory. what an asshole ! Talk about bad Karma !
the guy marked his territory. what an asshole ! Talk about bad Karma !
the guy marked his territory. what an asshole ! Talk about bad Karma !
Personally, I love the look of this tattoo, one of the best face tattoos I have seen, even though it’s design is relatively simple. But personally, I don’t think I could make a commitment to getting my partners name tattooed on me, just in case. You never know what the future holds. Although, saying that, they could be together for the rest of their lives.
Personally, I love the look of this tattoo, one of the best face tattoos I have seen, even though it’s design is relatively simple. But personally, I don’t think I could make a commitment to getting my partners name tattooed on me, just in case. You never know what the future holds. Although, saying that, they could be together for the rest of their lives.
Personally, I love the look of this tattoo, one of the best face tattoos I have seen, even though it’s design is relatively simple. But personally, I don’t think I could make a commitment to getting my partners name tattooed on me, just in case. You never know what the future holds. Although, saying that, they could be together for the rest of their lives.
and the tattoo sucks
and the tattoo sucks
and the tattoo sucks
Shannon you look creepy. go shave that mess off your face.
Shannon you look creepy. go shave that mess off your face.
Shannon you look creepy. go shave that mess off your face.
Wow. Talk about a high school crush type relationship (where the guy is manipulative) and this is what happens. You are not art. You are stupid and impulsive.
Wow. Talk about a high school crush type relationship (where the guy is manipulative) and this is what happens. You are not art. You are stupid and impulsive.
Wow. Talk about a high school crush type relationship (where the guy is manipulative) and this is what happens. You are not art. You are stupid and impulsive.
OMG first how the hell do you kiss someone with that much hardware in your lip? It’s just disgusting.
Second, the biggest mistake you can make is putting a name of your SO/BF/Dh on you. Especially if the relationship is new. But on her face? She’s never going to be hired for a normal job again. She better hope she is one damn good tattoo artist!
OMG first how the hell do you kiss someone with that much hardware in your lip? It’s just disgusting.
Second, the biggest mistake you can make is putting a name of your SO/BF/Dh on you. Especially if the relationship is new. But on her face? She’s never going to be hired for a normal job again. She better hope she is one damn good tattoo artist!
OMG first how the hell do you kiss someone with that much hardware in your lip? It’s just disgusting.
Second, the biggest mistake you can make is putting a name of your SO/BF/Dh on you. Especially if the relationship is new. But on her face? She’s never going to be hired for a normal job again. She better hope she is one damn good tattoo artist!
this is down right creepy. sorry. I hope she has a community of loving friends that will keep an eye on her well being as their relationship develops. This dude is trying to live out a power fantasy at her expense.
this is down right creepy. sorry. I hope she has a community of loving friends that will keep an eye on her well being as their relationship develops. This dude is trying to live out a power fantasy at her expense.
this is down right creepy. sorry. I hope she has a community of loving friends that will keep an eye on her well being as their relationship develops. This dude is trying to live out a power fantasy at her expense.
No, fuck this shit. This isn’t love, you don’t tell someone you love to get your name tattooed on their face. It’s beyond egotism. This is fucking stupid.
No, fuck this shit. This isn’t love, you don’t tell someone you love to get your name tattooed on their face. It’s beyond egotism. This is fucking stupid.
No, fuck this shit. This isn’t love, you don’t tell someone you love to get your name tattooed on their face. It’s beyond egotism. This is fucking stupid.
Besides being extremely rash it just looks like overall bad design. She is beautiful and if he were going to do something along these lines he could have attempted to do something that would have complimented the beauty that is already there. This is no better than the Golden Palace forehead tattoo.
Besides being extremely rash it just looks like overall bad design. She is beautiful and if he were going to do something along these lines he could have attempted to do something that would have complimented the beauty that is already there. This is no better than the Golden Palace forehead tattoo.
Besides being extremely rash it just looks like overall bad design. She is beautiful and if he were going to do something along these lines he could have attempted to do something that would have complimented the beauty that is already there. This is no better than the Golden Palace forehead tattoo.
This girl wasn’t first who he branded with his name.
His ex . And also Ruslan on her face.
http://i47.tinypic.com/3ekw3.jpg
This girl wasn’t first who he branded with his name.
His ex . And also Ruslan on her face.
http://i47.tinypic.com/3ekw3.jpg
This girl wasn’t first who he branded with his name.
His ex . And also Ruslan on her face.
http://i47.tinypic.com/3ekw3.jpg
Im all for true love…but seriously on her face? his name would have looked equally as nice on her ass. Hopefully there love works out. Do u want fries with that?
Im all for true love…but seriously on her face? his name would have looked equally as nice on her ass. Hopefully there love works out. Do u want fries with that?
Im all for true love…but seriously on her face? his name would have looked equally as nice on her ass. Hopefully there love works out. Do u want fries with that?
She is stunning. I cannot stop looking at the last photo! Awesome art, “all for love” am I right? I hate seeing this photo float around Facebook with attached stigma and judgement before they even try and get to know this beautiful woman.
She wears that tattoo not only with clear pride, but she wears it magnificently as far as an aesthetically pleasing tattoo goes..
She is stunning. I cannot stop looking at the last photo! Awesome art, “all for love” am I right? I hate seeing this photo float around Facebook with attached stigma and judgement before they even try and get to know this beautiful woman.
She wears that tattoo not only with clear pride, but she wears it magnificently as far as an aesthetically pleasing tattoo goes..
She is stunning. I cannot stop looking at the last photo! Awesome art, “all for love” am I right? I hate seeing this photo float around Facebook with attached stigma and judgement before they even try and get to know this beautiful woman.
She wears that tattoo not only with clear pride, but she wears it magnificently as far as an aesthetically pleasing tattoo goes..
This “tattoo artist” is the exact problem that we are currently faced in our industry. It is irresponsible, dangerous decisions like this that are plaguing the tattooing world. To see someone disfigure themselves like that, is not only saddening, it’s enraging. This idiot has already proven he should not be tattooing anyone when he tattooed another young girls face and got world wide recognition.
This is when hammers and broken hands need to make a come back. Fuck this dude. Get out of our industry.
This “tattoo artist” is the exact problem that we are currently faced in our industry. It is irresponsible, dangerous decisions like this that are plaguing the tattooing world. To see someone disfigure themselves like that, is not only saddening, it’s enraging. This idiot has already proven he should not be tattooing anyone when he tattooed another young girls face and got world wide recognition.
This is when hammers and broken hands need to make a come back. Fuck this dude. Get out of our industry.
This “tattoo artist” is the exact problem that we are currently faced in our industry. It is irresponsible, dangerous decisions like this that are plaguing the tattooing world. To see someone disfigure themselves like that, is not only saddening, it’s enraging. This idiot has already proven he should not be tattooing anyone when he tattooed another young girls face and got world wide recognition.
This is when hammers and broken hands need to make a come back. Fuck this dude. Get out of our industry.