The Picturesque Tombstones of the Russian Mafia (Gallery)

If money weren't a limitation, what would you do? What would you change? How would you behave? I imagine the answers to these questions depend on the way you got that money in the first place, and if we focus on the specific case of the Russian mafia, one of the most effective ways to know how they live is, well... to know how they die. What do we find along the way? A series of enormous tombstones, full-body portraits, cars, jewelry, banquets, and bottles of wine that send a pretty clear message: luxury as a way of life, even in death.

Once the Soviet Union fell and the change of government took effect, the Russian mafia bosses multiplied their wealth, and with that obviously new conflicts arose. Those with greater negotiation and persuasion skills managed to come out (more or less) okay, while others advanced their appointment with the infinite. Some cemeteries have special sections for these bosses, their direct relatives, and everyone they considered family.

And believe me, they make it known. The tombstones of the Russian mafia are enormous, extravagant, exaggerated, and on more than one occasion border on bad taste. Most are reduced to full-body portraits (carved, drawn, or copied from a photograph), always in 'tough' poses, or relaxed. Cars, food, and wine are other recurring themes, and of course, the cross of the Russian Orthodox Church is everywhere...

Source: The Guardian