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”
Wow.. To be honest, my first thought was that it is a shame for such a naturally beautiful girl to change her appearance so drastically, especially in a way that nearly every one outside of the body modification community (and even a lot of those within it, apparently) would not find attractive… However, I also tend to be something of a hopeless romantic and think it’s a wonderfully amazing gesture of love and devotion, and I truly hope they live happily ever after.
Wow.. To be honest, my first thought was that it is a shame for such a naturally beautiful girl to change her appearance so drastically, especially in a way that nearly every one outside of the body modification community (and even a lot of those within it, apparently) would not find attractive… However, I also tend to be something of a hopeless romantic and think it’s a wonderfully amazing gesture of love and devotion, and I truly hope they live happily ever after.
is her future dream unemployment?
is her future dream unemployment?
is her future dream unemployment?
She does not have a face anymore, the tattoo has taken over. That is all people will see until the end of time.
She does not have a face anymore, the tattoo has taken over. That is all people will see until the end of time.
She does not have a face anymore, the tattoo has taken over. That is all people will see until the end of time.
hey, this dude has put his name on another girfriends face. I’m sorry, I wanted to support him, but this dude is a prick and gives every hard working tattooer out there a really bad name.
hey, this dude has put his name on another girfriends face. I’m sorry, I wanted to support him, but this dude is a prick and gives every hard working tattooer out there a really bad name.
hey, this dude has put his name on another girfriends face. I’m sorry, I wanted to support him, but this dude is a prick and gives every hard working tattooer out there a really bad name.
Ебать дура!
Ебать дура!
Ебать дура!
I think the problem lies in the “breaking” of the aesthetic harmony. Her face is naturally perfect and that tattoo looks rather a graffiti to me. Who likes graffitis on beautiful buildings? Anytime I see one it makes me so sad. Human face is one of the most interesting things for all of us, and this ugly tattoo does not let me enjoy her radiant face.
I think the problem lies in the “breaking” of the aesthetic harmony. Her face is naturally perfect and that tattoo looks rather a graffiti to me. Who likes graffitis on beautiful buildings? Anytime I see one it makes me so sad. Human face is one of the most interesting things for all of us, and this ugly tattoo does not let me enjoy her radiant face.
I think the problem lies in the “breaking” of the aesthetic harmony. Her face is naturally perfect and that tattoo looks rather a graffiti to me. Who likes graffitis on beautiful buildings? Anytime I see one it makes me so sad. Human face is one of the most interesting things for all of us, and this ugly tattoo does not let me enjoy her radiant face.
if haircut genuinely thinks this is no more extreme than eating factory processed food (which I can only assume they disapprove of or why mention it?) then they are a deluded idiot – in what world is this the same, or ‘no more extreme’? Not this one… you can shit out the food, this is forever. It screams ownership. To call the sub-human who did this an ‘artist’ is ridiculous, it would look awful on a canvas and it looks awful here, there is no imagination style or artistry whatsoever, just a case of ‘sociopath irrevocably scars impressionable youngster’. One of them will likely die before the other anyway even if the marriage lasts so that argument doesn’t hold water – when one makes a life altering decision – even including marriage or having a baby – one does not HAVE to rush, that is the whole point… if their love was really meant to last then there would have been no harm at all in waiting five or ten years… this is wrong wrong wrong and to defend it is hillbilly nonsense dressed up as ‘freedom of expression’ when it is the exact opposite. She has built herself a life-long prison with one stupid act of assent to a bullying moron.
if haircut genuinely thinks this is no more extreme than eating factory processed food (which I can only assume they disapprove of or why mention it?) then they are a deluded idiot – in what world is this the same, or ‘no more extreme’? Not this one… you can shit out the food, this is forever. It screams ownership. To call the sub-human who did this an ‘artist’ is ridiculous, it would look awful on a canvas and it looks awful here, there is no imagination style or artistry whatsoever, just a case of ‘sociopath irrevocably scars impressionable youngster’. One of them will likely die before the other anyway even if the marriage lasts so that argument doesn’t hold water – when one makes a life altering decision – even including marriage or having a baby – one does not HAVE to rush, that is the whole point… if their love was really meant to last then there would have been no harm at all in waiting five or ten years… this is wrong wrong wrong and to defend it is hillbilly nonsense dressed up as ‘freedom of expression’ when it is the exact opposite. She has built herself a life-long prison with one stupid act of assent to a bullying moron.
if haircut genuinely thinks this is no more extreme than eating factory processed food (which I can only assume they disapprove of or why mention it?) then they are a deluded idiot – in what world is this the same, or ‘no more extreme’? Not this one… you can shit out the food, this is forever. It screams ownership. To call the sub-human who did this an ‘artist’ is ridiculous, it would look awful on a canvas and it looks awful here, there is no imagination style or artistry whatsoever, just a case of ‘sociopath irrevocably scars impressionable youngster’. One of them will likely die before the other anyway even if the marriage lasts so that argument doesn’t hold water – when one makes a life altering decision – even including marriage or having a baby – one does not HAVE to rush, that is the whole point… if their love was really meant to last then there would have been no harm at all in waiting five or ten years… this is wrong wrong wrong and to defend it is hillbilly nonsense dressed up as ‘freedom of expression’ when it is the exact opposite. She has built herself a life-long prison with one stupid act of assent to a bullying moron.
Seriously.. There’s no “pulling off the tattoo well”. If anything, it looks like she has facial hair, which isn’t flattering at all. Lmao.
Seriously.. There’s no “pulling off the tattoo well”. If anything, it looks like she has facial hair, which isn’t flattering at all. Lmao.
Seriously.. There’s no “pulling off the tattoo well”. If anything, it looks like she has facial hair, which isn’t flattering at all. Lmao.
I Love havily tattooed women and facial tattoos, but although at first glance it appears as well designed black work, it loses much of it’s beauty and any semblance of something to enhance the girl’s beauty when you find out i’ts some old creepers NAME!! shamey shame shame on yooo dude!!
I Love havily tattooed women and facial tattoos, but although at first glance it appears as well designed black work, it loses much of it’s beauty and any semblance of something to enhance the girl’s beauty when you find out i’ts some old creepers NAME!! shamey shame shame on yooo dude!!
I Love havily tattooed women and facial tattoos, but although at first glance it appears as well designed black work, it loses much of it’s beauty and any semblance of something to enhance the girl’s beauty when you find out i’ts some old creepers NAME!! shamey shame shame on yooo dude!!
She will be Gotham’s reckoning.
She will be Gotham’s reckoning.
She will be Gotham’s reckoning.
Why does her tattoo say RUSLAN if his name is Rouslan? What happened to the ‘o’?
Why does her tattoo say RUSLAN if his name is Rouslan? What happened to the ‘o’?
Why does her tattoo say RUSLAN if his name is Rouslan? What happened to the ‘o’?
I find it strange that for a group of people that claim to own their bodies, there sure seems like a load of negative remarks about her choice of a tattoo. I guess hypocrites come from all groups.
I find it strange that for a group of people that claim to own their bodies, there sure seems like a load of negative remarks about her choice of a tattoo. I guess hypocrites come from all groups.
I find it strange that for a group of people that claim to own their bodies, there sure seems like a load of negative remarks about her choice of a tattoo. I guess hypocrites come from all groups.
So wait, he’s previously done this before to a girlfriend and he was able to find another one stupid enough? He must be the world’s luckiest man. I wonder if we will be hearing of stupid, face-tattooed gf #3 soon.
I’m a judgemental tattooed asshole. The tattoo looks like shit, does nothing but distract you from her natural beauty. Also, shouldn’t he know that tattoos on lips ALWAYS fade and end up looking like shit?
So wait, he’s previously done this before to a girlfriend and he was able to find another one stupid enough? He must be the world’s luckiest man. I wonder if we will be hearing of stupid, face-tattooed gf #3 soon.
I’m a judgemental tattooed asshole. The tattoo looks like shit, does nothing but distract you from her natural beauty. Also, shouldn’t he know that tattoos on lips ALWAYS fade and end up looking like shit?
So wait, he’s previously done this before to a girlfriend and he was able to find another one stupid enough? He must be the world’s luckiest man. I wonder if we will be hearing of stupid, face-tattooed gf #3 soon.
I’m a judgemental tattooed asshole. The tattoo looks like shit, does nothing but distract you from her natural beauty. Also, shouldn’t he know that tattoos on lips ALWAYS fade and end up looking like shit?
I honestly think she looks stunning.
And besides, as long as she’s happy, right? It’s none of our business whether we don’t like it or not. You shouldn’t just judge her based on her tattoo.
And for those saying the last picture, that Rouslan is a controlling freak. It was probably the photographer. I mean, you don’t know him, what if he’s actually a nice guy?
I honestly think she looks stunning.
And besides, as long as she’s happy, right? It’s none of our business whether we don’t like it or not. You shouldn’t just judge her based on her tattoo.
And for those saying the last picture, that Rouslan is a controlling freak. It was probably the photographer. I mean, you don’t know him, what if he’s actually a nice guy?
I honestly think she looks stunning.
And besides, as long as she’s happy, right? It’s none of our business whether we don’t like it or not. You shouldn’t just judge her based on her tattoo.
And for those saying the last picture, that Rouslan is a controlling freak. It was probably the photographer. I mean, you don’t know him, what if he’s actually a nice guy?
Wow. Just… wow. I can’t think of anything positive to say about this. Usually it’s a dumb idea to put a name on your body because love fizzles out just as fast as it sparks to life. If she had the name done on her arm or somewhere else, she could at least try to ignore it. She’s going to be seeing that name on her face for the rest of her life every time she looks into a mirror. I actually see a lifetime of her caking make-up to her face to obscure it as much as she can after the relationship is gone.
Here’s to hoping her relationship lasts a long, long time…
Wow. Just… wow. I can’t think of anything positive to say about this. Usually it’s a dumb idea to put a name on your body because love fizzles out just as fast as it sparks to life. If she had the name done on her arm or somewhere else, she could at least try to ignore it. She’s going to be seeing that name on her face for the rest of her life every time she looks into a mirror. I actually see a lifetime of her caking make-up to her face to obscure it as much as she can after the relationship is gone.
Here’s to hoping her relationship lasts a long, long time…
Wow. Just… wow. I can’t think of anything positive to say about this. Usually it’s a dumb idea to put a name on your body because love fizzles out just as fast as it sparks to life. If she had the name done on her arm or somewhere else, she could at least try to ignore it. She’s going to be seeing that name on her face for the rest of her life every time she looks into a mirror. I actually see a lifetime of her caking make-up to her face to obscure it as much as she can after the relationship is gone.
Here’s to hoping her relationship lasts a long, long time…
Media and silly comments http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273234/Man-tattoos-girlfriends-FACE–met-24-hours-earlier.html
Media and silly comments http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273234/Man-tattoos-girlfriends-FACE–met-24-hours-earlier.html
Media and silly comments http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273234/Man-tattoos-girlfriends-FACE–met-24-hours-earlier.html
That man has permanently disfigured that poor girl. She was beautiful, but now you can’t see anything beyond the black ink. What a stupid girl to allow someone to put his name in giant letters on her FACE. You will regret this Lesya, it is only a matter of time. It’s plain ugly and it is obvious that you do not have a mind of your own. Good luck with your life, you’re going to need it.
That man has permanently disfigured that poor girl. She was beautiful, but now you can’t see anything beyond the black ink. What a stupid girl to allow someone to put his name in giant letters on her FACE. You will regret this Lesya, it is only a matter of time. It’s plain ugly and it is obvious that you do not have a mind of your own. Good luck with your life, you’re going to need it.
That man has permanently disfigured that poor girl. She was beautiful, but now you can’t see anything beyond the black ink. What a stupid girl to allow someone to put his name in giant letters on her FACE. You will regret this Lesya, it is only a matter of time. It’s plain ugly and it is obvious that you do not have a mind of your own. Good luck with your life, you’re going to need it.