The difference it that in Russia&#x2F;USSR it was taken more seriously, became more formalized, by now has about 100 years of tradition behind it.<p>In US I would imagine, for example, tattoos would be more gang centered and would have meaning within one gang,  but not a general unified set of symbols or meanings that everyone accepts. Like say &quot;cross on the left shoulder means abandoned by parents&quot; or something like that.