Kazan Tattoo Artists on Price Changes: 'Old-School Masters Suffer'
Over ten years, a huge number of artists and salons have emerged in Kazan.
Do you often see people with tattoos on the streets? Kazan has dozens of tattoo salons and even more artists.
Have tattoo prices changed in recent years? What about employer attitudes? How do Russian tattoo enthusiasts differ from foreign ones? A 116.RU correspondent discussed all this with Kazan artists.
«My Work Was Appreciated by the Band Deftones»
The first and probably main question we asked the studios: how has price growth affected the cost of tattoos and the studios in general? The thing is, materials for work, including inks and equipment, are imported. They are hardly produced in Russia.
As artists claim, the cost of materials for tattoos is not as high as it might seem at first glance. Pavel Karpenko, founder and senior master of the «Yunost» tattoo salon, which has been operating in Kazan since 2016 and remains popular, said that there is indeed an increase in prices for consumables, but it is not so critical as to greatly affect the final session cost or, especially, salon attendance. People who truly love tattoos and want them done with quality are willing to pay for it.
Pavel founded the Yunost tattoo studio in Kazan over eight years ago.
The most expensive and valuable resource in studios is time, so the cost of a tattoo depends on the complexity of the work and session length. And, of course, on the artist«s skills and reputation. Some artists may have bookings filled months in advance.
Karpenko noted that some artists are indeed having difficulties finding clients now, but there is no mass decline in demand for tattoos. Studios and artists who have established themselves, built a client base, and created a reputation work as successfully as before.
Many artists have clients who return repeatedly for additional work.
«I haven»t felt a downturn myself. On the contrary, given my experience and professionalism, demand is only growing. I«ve been doing tattoos for over 10 years, and there»s high demand for my work. Clients come from Tatarstan and other Russian cities. Recently, a regular client from St. Petersburg, a big fan of the cult metal band Deftones, came to me. I developed a custom sketch for him and did a tattoo based on the band«s latest album. I posted a photo of this work on social media. And Deftones appreciated my work and shared a post with this tattoo on their official account (with 4 million followers). It was nice for me as an artist and for the client as the owner,» he shared.
«Tattoos Used to Be Done by People with High Incomes»
«If we compare tattoo prices 5-10 years ago and now, I»d say they have increased slightly compared to the rise in prices for everything else. Tattoos were mostly done by people with high incomes before. Now, any student can easily afford a small tattoo. Yes, less quality and from a not very experienced artist, but they can,« said Dina Synthetica, founder of another popular Kazan studio »Chill Ink Tattoo«.
Dina has earned exclusively from tattooing for eight years now.
Regarding demand for tattoos, the 116.RU interviewee is sure that it hasn«t decreased in recent years. People still get tattooed, new generations of tattoo lovers are growing up. Moreover, the number of artists in the profession is increasing.
«Old-School Masters Suffer»
Dina Synthetica not only created a studio but has been working as a tattoo artist for 8 years with no other sources of income. According to her, if before people came through «word of mouth,» now, when working with «social media generations,» promoting oneself and one«s work is a mandatory part of any artist»s job.
«I wouldn»t say tattoos have stopped being a trend. They haven«t stopped getting them. Rather, competition among artists has grown; there are many tattooists now: entry into the profession is easier, prices for beginners are more accessible. First and foremost, old-school masters suffer, those who still deny the need to maintain social media, show their face, and invest in advertising,» noted Dina Synthetica.
Most well-known studios in Kazan are located in the city center.
Self-Employed Tattoo Artists
Tattoo artists in Kazan work in various formats: some work in a single studio and represent only its interests, some rent space themselves or jointly with colleagues. There are also those who set up studios in their own apartments and work for themselves. The principle of work doesn«t change. The only difference is that »freelance artists,« not tied to a studio, find clients themselves by promoting on social media.
Alina believes home tattoo sessions offer more comfort for clients.
Tattoo artist Alina Malakhova created a studio in her own apartment—in a Stalin-era building in central Kazan. She works in the hand-poke technique (tattoos applied manually without an electric machine), which doesn«t require much equipment or consumables. According to her, this work format in small spaces appealed to her during work outside Russia, for example, in Colombia or Turkey.
«For me, this is the perfect option now. I worked in various studios in Kazan, and I also had two small studios of my own several years ago, but I realized that this format is uncomfortable for me, and I like working from home; there»s a special atmosphere, while maintaining sterility and professionalism because I have a huge dedicated space in the house. I had no problems finding clients. I have my own style, and clients, most often, definitely return because they want to complement their body with tattoos in the same style,« she said.
The artist previously worked extensively in Kazan studios and abroad.
«Stigmatization of Tattoos Is Disappearing»
Alina Malakhova also emphasized that tattoo lovers haven«t gone anywhere and haven»t decreased. On the contrary, the younger generation reaches 18-20 years old and also goes to get tattoos. Over the last ten years, society has changed a lot, and now it doesn«t seem forbidden anymore, the artist believes.
«Every year, there are actually more and more people wanting to get tattoos on their bodies. In large companies where it might have been unacceptable to wear tattoos on visible parts of the body before, there are no such rules now, as most employees are young. And because of this, attitudes change, and the stigmatization of tattoos disappears. Doctors, people from large corporations, banks, lawyers have started coming to me. Recently, girls involved in ski cross in Russia came. They interestingly talked about their sports achievements. Creative people also often come: designers, architects,» shared Malakhova.
Hand-poke tattooing typically involves small-sized designs.
«I Tattooed a Dog for a Grandmother. She Cried»
According to Alina Malakhova, adults also get tattoos, but the main audience is still people aged 20 to 30. In other countries, for example, in Colombia, the age of tattooed people is significantly older.
«There, I tattooed a real grandmother and her granddaughter. Their dog died, and in honor of that, we did a tattoo with a portrait of that dog. It was very touching. They told me many stories related to this dog. I think the whole session was like a psychological session. They reflected a lot. The grandmother cried,» the artist said.
Tattoos are sometimes applied to the most unusual body parts.
Overall, the average cost of a miniature tattoo in Kazan is now 5,000 rubles (approximately $50 at current rates), said another 116.RU interviewee Daria Tambassova, who works at the «Tattoorstan» studio. A larger work requiring a long session (or even more than one) will cost from 15,000 to 20,000 rubles (about $150-$200), she noted.
«They Can Charge 200,000 for One Session»
«A miniature tattoo is some inscription, flower, heart. Something you can do in an hour maximum. For larger sessions, scale work, like 6-8 hours, the price will, of course, be higher. There are those who charge 200,000 rubles (around $2,000) for one session. Famous artists, for example, in cool studios. But such an average price is about 20,000 rubles (approximately $200),» pointed out Daria.
The girl herself has been doing tattoos for nine years. Like other 116.RU interviewees, she has worked in studios, at home, and outside Russia. Now, together with other artists, she shares space on Moskovskaya Street. It operates on a coworking principle. Each has a separate workspace, but everyone finds clients themselves. As the 116.RU interviewee noted, this format is not very popular in Russia. Mostly, Kazan artists work in a specific studio.
Daria has been tattooing since she was 18, since she entered the Feshin Art College to get a professional artist education.
Despite professional art training, Daria prefers people as her canvas.
«Tattooing always seemed very interesting to me. It»s communication with people, the opportunity to work abroad without knowing the language, to travel the world. For example, I worked in Turkey for 7 months in a large studio with worldwide fame. Also, I have friends, for instance, who go to Germany to work, which I also plan to do later. So for me, probably, one of the factors in choosing the profession of tattoo artist,« she emphasized.
