107-513: Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest and performance art group based in Moscow that became popular for its provocative punk rock music which later turned into a more accessible style. Founded in the fall of 2011 by the then 22-year-old Nadya Tolokonnikova , it has had a membership of approximately 11 women. The group staged unauthorized, provocative guerrilla gigs in public places. These performances were filmed as music videos and posted on
214-591: A collective formed in late 2011 in response to national politics in Russia. Its name, consisting of two English-language words written in the Latin alphabet, usually appears that way in the Russian press, though it is sometimes transliterated into Cyrillic as "Пусси Райот". The group consisted of around a dozen performers and about 15 people who handled the technical work of shooting and editing videos that were posted on
321-506: A smoke bomb , which led to Pussy Riot members being arrested and briefly detained on administrative charges, a Russian legal term similar to a summary offence or misdemeanor . A judge found two members of the group, Galkina and Schebleva, "guilty under article 20.2 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for conducting rallies and pickets) and imposed a fine of 500 rubles on each." On February 21, 2012, as part of
428-486: A "miracle from God", who had "rectified the crooked path of history". After the cathedral performance, members of Pussy Riot said the church was a "weapon in a dirty election campaign" and called Putin "a man who is as far as can be from God's truth". This performance led to the arrest and prosecution of three of their members. Pussy Riot released a single in August 2012 as the court case against three of their members drew to
535-560: A Moscow biological museum to protest the President's call for increased reproduction, in 2008, when his wife was heavily pregnant. After Voina split in 2009, the Saint Petersburg faction accused Verzilov of being a police informer. Verzilov later described these accusations as "lies – brutal, old lies", blaming them on the "very nasty breakup" of Voina. In July 2010, at the conclusion of a trial of two art gallery curators in
642-824: A Moscow court, Verzilov reportedly burst in and released a bag of live cockroaches . Verzilov took part in the Euromaidan protest in Kyiv ( Ukraine ) in December 2013. Verzilov's former wife Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is a member of the Russian feminist punk rock group Pussy Riot who, in February 2012, staged a protest inside the Moscow Cathedral . On 17 August, Tolokonnikova and two other members were sentenced to two years' imprisonment for 'hooliganism'. Subsequent to their arrest and imprisonment Verzilov became
749-584: A Moscow subway and from the top of trolley cars, while tearing apart down feather pillows , showering feathers onto the train platform below. The song recommended that Russians protest upcoming parliamentary elections by throwing cobblestones during street clashes. "Your ballots will be used as toilet paper by the Presidential Administration", the group said on its blog. Their first video was uploaded to YouTube on November 6. The musical track once again used extensive sampling, this time from
856-634: A Pussy Riot member, Veronika Nikulshina , at the Moscow Basmanny Court, and a critical interview about the Russian legal system given to the television channel Al Jazeera . Working for MediaZona, he was about to receive a final journalistic report on investigations on the killing of 3 Russian journalists in the Central African Republic in July 2018, according to the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta . On 15 September, he
963-465: A Russian man. I am inspired by the Russian language, the Russian reality," he later told the Toronto Star . However, because of his residency Verzilov obtained a Canadian passport and residency rights. Verzilov met Nadezhda Tolokonnikova at university. They both became known for outrageous art performances as part of the performance art group Voina . This included filming public sex acts in
1070-561: A band member described their two-minute concerts as performance art , creating images of "pure protest, saying: super heroes in balaclavas and acid bright tights seize public space in Moscow." Another band member, who went by the pseudonym Garadzha, told the Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper that the group was open to women recruits with limited musical talents. She said: "You don't have to sing very well. It's punk. You just scream
1177-555: A close. It was called "Putin zazhigayet kostry" ("Putin Lights Up The Fires"), and its lyrics addressed issues related to the case. Among other statements, they suggested that "seven years [imprisonment] are not enough, give us eighteen!" Pussy Riot released their first song and video in English in February 2015. " I Can't Breathe " is named for the last words that Eric Garner said as New York City Police held him to
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#17327836529781284-592: A core principle, saying that authorities do not see rallies that they have sanctioned as a threat and simply ignore them. For this reason, all of Pussy Riot's performances were illegal and used co-opted public space. Interviewed by the BBC during rehearsals the day before the Cathedral of Christ the Savior performance, band members argued that only vivid, illegal actions brought media attention. In an interview with Slate in
1391-572: A criminal case was opened against the band members who had participated in the Moscow cathedral performance on February 21. On March 3, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova , two alleged members of Pussy Riot, were arrested by the Russian authorities and accused of hooliganism . Both women at first denied being members of the group and started a hunger strike in protest against being held in jail away from their young children. The defendants were held without bail. On March 16, another woman, Yekaterina Samutsevich , who had earlier been questioned as
1498-403: A day care and a communal kitchen. The triumvirate also began pushing, in 1867, for Russian universities to create courses for women. Demonstrating "considerable skill in rallying popular support", according to the historian Christine Johanson, the women wrote a carefully-worded petition to Tsar Alexander II . They gathered over 400 signatures among middle and upper-class women. However, there
1605-475: A kind of civic activity amidst the repressions of a corporate political system that directs its power against basic human rights and civil and political liberties. Costumes usually consisted of brightly colored dresses and tights , even in bitterly cold weather, with faces hidden by balaclavas . During interviews, band members used nicknames such as "Balaclava", "Cat", "Seraph", "Terminator", and "Blondie". In an email interview with The St. Petersburg Times ,
1712-607: A lecture on punk feminism in 2011, in which they refer to the "Pisya Riot" band as a striking example of punk feminist art in Russia, but did not reveal their relation to the band until their arrest in 2012. The group was started by 15 women, several of whom were previously involved in Voina. While there is no official line-up and the band says anyone can join, it usually has between 10 and 20 members. The members prefer anonymity and are known for wearing brightly coloured balaclavas when performing and using aliases when giving interviews. At
1819-435: A lot." The group cited British punk rock and oi! bands Angelic Upstarts , Cockney Rejects , Sham 69 and The 4-Skins as their main musical influences. The band also cited American punk rock band Bikini Kill , performance artist Karen Finley and the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s as inspirations. They stated: What we have in common is impudence, politically loaded lyrics, the importance of feminist discourse and
1926-686: A mass protest against the results of the State Duma elections. Pussy Riot played their song "Smert tyurme, svobodu protestu" ("Death To Prison, Freedom To Protests"), a pun on the Yugoslav Partisan World War II slogan " Death to fascism, freedom to the people ", and were applauded by the prisoners watching from inside the bars of the jail cell windows. On January 20, 2012, in what the Associated Press described as their "breakthrough performance", eight members of
2033-729: A minute, they were escorted outside the building by guards. Film of the performance was later combined with footage shot at a different church, identified by Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin as the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo , to create a video clip for the song, which they entitled "Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away". The song, which they described as a punk moleben (supplicatory prayer), borrowed its opening melody and refrain from Sergei Rachmaninoff 's " Bogoroditse Devo, Raduisya " ( Ave Maria ), from
2140-552: A much lesser extent than in the West. Yet, sociological studies at the time found that Soviet women tended not to see their inequality as a problem. In the mid-1980s Mikhail Gorbachev instituted glasnost , allowing greater freedom of speech and organization than ever before in the USSR. This openness generated a burst in women's political action, academic research, and artistic and business ventures. Additionally, women were aware that
2247-483: A non-standard female image. The difference is that Bikini Kill performed at specific music venues, while we hold unsanctioned concerts. On the whole, Riot Grrrl was closely linked to Western cultural institutions, whose equivalents don't exist in Russia. Pussy Riot used situationist -style guerrilla performances . Tolokonnikova stated: Pussy Riot's performances can either be called dissident art or political action that engages art forms. Either way, our performances are
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#17327836529782354-519: A popular joke: Under capitalism, women are not liberated because they have no opportunity to work. They have to stay at home, go shopping, do the cooking, keep house and take care of the children. But under socialism, women are liberated. They have the opportunity to work all day and then go home, go shopping, do the cooking, keep house and take care of the children. In addition, as Soviet feminist, Ekaterina Alexandrova wrote in her article "Why Soviet Women Want to Get Married". ...Soviet women work at
2461-693: A prominent representative and spokesperson for Pussy Riot. He lobbied the singer Madonna for support prior to her 2012 Moscow concert. On 14 September 2012, Verzilov was interviewed by the BBC 's Zeinab Badawi for the HARDtalk programme. In September that year, Verzilov accepted the LennonOno grant for peace from Yoko Ono , on behalf of Pussy Riot, at a ceremony in New York. However, in October 2012,
2568-575: A protest movement against the re-election of Vladimir Putin , five women from the group entered the Cathedral of Christ the Savior of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. There was no church service in session at the time, and only a few people were in the cathedral. Removing their winter clothes, they put on colorful balaclavas, ran up the steps leading to the altar, and began to jump, kick, and throw air punches. After less than
2675-646: A recording of the song "Ubey seksista" ("Kill the Sexist"), billing the performers as "a new Russian punk band called Pussy Riot". This track featured extensive sampling of the Cockney Rejects ' 1979 recording "I'm Not a Fool". Their first public performance as members of Pussy Riot was in November 2011. Several masked women performed "Osvobodi Bruschatku" ("Release the Cobblestones") atop a scaffold in
2782-797: A statement was made anonymously on behalf of some Pussy Riot members that Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were no longer members. However, both were among the group that performed as Pussy Riot during the Winter Olympics in Sochi , where group members were attacked with whips and pepper spray by Cossacks employed as security guards. On March 6, 2014, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were assaulted and sprayed with green dye by local youths in Nizhny Novgorod . Speaking as much to western European and North American audiences as to Russian ones, Pussy Riot anticipated Donald Trump 's victory two weeks before
2889-591: A surge of membership in the organization. In the same year, because of the society's continued lobbying, Russia became the first major world power to grant women the right to vote. Vladimir Lenin , who led the Bolsheviks to power in the October Revolution , recognized the importance of women's equality in the Soviet Union (USSR) they established. "To effect [woman's] emancipation and make her
2996-451: A theme that he also touched on in his novel Anna Karenina . In his plays and short stories, Anton Chekhov portrayed a variety of working female protagonists, from actresses to governesses, who sacrificed social esteem and affluence for the sake of financial and personal independence; in spite of this sacrifice, these women are among the few Chekhovian characters who are truly satisfied with their lives. In his influential 1863 novel What
3103-554: A witness in the case, was similarly arrested and charged. Defense attorney Nikolai Polozov said that both Tolokonnikova and Samutsevich were also members of the Voina group, and both had previously staged disruptive protests in the Tagansky Court building, where they would be judged. He argued that their two previous attempts to disrupt proceedings would bias the judge, and preclude a fair outcome at that location. "I believe that
3210-761: A woman... We are always saying that anybody can be in Pussy Riot, and we really mean it". For Pussy Riot, Putin upkeeps the status quo of LGBT persecution and in Russian political life. Pussy Riot released seven songs and five videos. An Associated Press reporter described them as "badly recorded, based on simple riffs and scream-like singing" and stated that critics had dismissed them as "amateur, provocative and obscene". The A.V. Club described them as an "excellent band" with "fuzzed-out guitars and classic Riot Grrrl chants". In an opinion piece for The New York Times , Pitchfork Media reviewer Michael Idov wrote, "judging [Pussy Riot] on artistic merit would be like chiding
3317-615: Is a Russian-Canadian artist and activist who came to prominence as the unofficial spokesperson of the band Pussy Riot when he was arrested and jailed by the Russian state in 2012. Verzilov was married to Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova . Born in Moscow, Verzilov lived in Canada as a boy, attending school in Toronto between 1999 and 2003. He returned to Russia to complete his school education, then studied philosophy at Moscow State University . "I always saw my future in Russia. I am
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3424-434: Is generally forgiven," wrote Hedrick Smith , former Russian correspondent for The New York Times , but "if a woman does the same things, she is criticized for taking a light-hearted approach toward her marriage and her work." In an open letter to the country's leadership shortly before he was expelled from it in 1974, the dissident writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn talked about an alleged heavy burden placed on women to do
3531-497: Is seen as the face of the group. She was born in Norilsk and studied at Moscow State University . Tolokonnikova and then-husband Pyotr Verzilov were members of Voina from 2007. They were involved in provocative art performances that included drawing a 65 m (210 foot) penis on a bridge and having public sex in a Moscow biological museum . Ailyokhina is a single mother, poet and previously did work as an environmental activist. She
3638-503: Is seen by some as more Tolokonnikova's project than the collective it started out as. Ailyokhinasai created her own show, Pussy Riot: Riot Days , which recounts her life as a Russian activist, and tours various fringe festivals . During the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final , members identifying with the group invaded the pitch wearing police uniforms to protest wrongful arrests. They were Verzilov, economics student Veronika Nikulshina , journalist Olga Kurachyova and Olga Pakhtusova. During
3745-574: Is to be Done? , the writer Nikolai Chernyshevski embodied the new feminist ideas in the novel's heroine, Vera Pavlovna, who dreams of a future utopian society with perfect equality among the sexes. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the focus of Russian feminism shifted from the aristocracy to the peasants and working class . Imbued with socialist ideology, young women began to organize all-women unions among female factory workers, who tended to be ignored or marginalized by male socialists. Between 1907 and 1917,
3852-647: The 2022 FIFA World Cup for attempting to storm the field to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine , imprisonment of Alexei Navalny , and to bring attention to Women's rights in Iran . In 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Verzilov for reporting information and photos about the Bucha massacre in Ukraine on his social media. On 12 September 2018, it was reported by the media that Verzilov had been hospitalized and
3959-595: The All Night Vigil . In the song, they invoked the name of the Virgin Mary , urging her to get rid of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and to "become a feminist", claiming that she would support them in their protests. They alluded to close ties between the church and the KGB ("Black robes, golden epaulettes"), criticized the subservience of many Russians to the church ("Parishioners crawl bowing") and attacked
4066-509: The American Reader, Pussy Riot's feminism focused on the repression of authoritarian regimes that created idealised ideas of sexism, sex and family life. Pussy Riot strove to make it clear that feminism in Russia was still an issue and that post-feminism had not been achieved. The Russian cultural context had to be acknowledged and its feminist notions had to be seen differently from those of Western feminism because in places such as
4173-541: The Angelic Upstarts ' 1978 recording "Police Oppression". The video of the performance quickly went viral and generated a flurry of interest from the Russian press. Later that month the group re-emerged, with several members playing "Kropotkin Vodka" on the roof of an automobile display unit in a luxury-store district and in the windows of fashion boutiques, while another member discharged a fire extinguisher into
4280-551: The February Revolution of 1917, feminist lobbying gained suffrage , alongside general equality for women in society. Through this period, the concern with feminism varied depending on demographics and economic status. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, feminist circles arose among the intelligentsia , although the term continues to carry negative connotations among contemporary Russians. In
4387-523: The League for Women's Equal Rights was the most important feminist organization in Russia. Like the Russian Women's Mutual Philanthropic Society, it was focused on education and social welfare, but it also pushed for equal rights for women, including suffrage , equal inheritance, and an end to passport restrictions. The 1917 Revolution , catalyzed in part by women workers' demonstrations, generated
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4494-539: The Orthodox clergy and eventually stopped by church security officials. The women said their protest was directed at the Orthodox Church leaders' support for Putin during his election campaign. On March 3, 2012, two of the group's members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina , were arrested and charged with hooliganism . A third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich , was arrested on March 16. Denied bail,
4601-561: The Russian Orthodox Church and the Putin administration. Three members of the group were arrested in March 2012 after performing a "punk-prayer" against Putin in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. During their trial for hooliganism , they talked about being feminists and stated that this was not incompatible with Russian Orthodoxy. However, Larisa Pavlova, the lawyer representing
4708-567: The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Maria Alyokhina and Lucy Shtein, who are in a relationship, were able to escape house arrest in Russia, and each of them fled the country disguised as delivery drivers, a month apart, to Lithuania. They were proposed for fast-track citizenship in Iceland by parliament decree in May 2023. Shtein was later sentenced in absentia to six years in prison for her online anti-war posts. In an interview with Gazeta.ru ,
4815-704: The Village People , made guest appearances on the Dorian Electra single "My Agenda." Pussy Riot's lyrics in the song encourage rebellion against the Russian gay propaganda law and also make reference to similar anti-gay laws in Uganda . The song was released on Electra's album of the same name . On June 23, 2022, Pussy Riot a made guest appearance on the Kai Whiston single "Q", composed by Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Kai Whiston. On February 26, 2012
4922-603: The Yippies because Pigasus the Immortal , the pig they ran for president in 1968, was not a viable candidate." Pussy Riot have not released any conventional albums. However, their songs are freely available for download on a number of Internet sites, collected together under the title Ubey seksista ("Kill the sexist"). On January 31, 2018, Pussy Riot announced their first North American tour. The music video ''My Sex'' by Brooke Candy feat. Mykki Blanco, MNDR & Pussy Riot
5029-411: The riot grrrl movement and musical groups such as Bikini Kill , Oi! , Cockney Rejects and by writers, activists and artists like Alexandra Kollontai , Judith Butler, Karen Finley , Simone de Beauvoir and Vladimir Bukovsky . The media tended to overlook the meaning behind Pussy Riot's feminism; the cultural context of it was vastly different from that of Western feminism. According to Elianna Kan in
5136-441: The "Russian Spring" brand cigarettes in the video is that the brand name is the same phrase used by supporters of Russia's war with Ukraine . Pussy Riot was responsible for concept and production of the video, while vocals and lyrics were performed by two other Russian bands, Jack Wood and Scofferlane . With this song, Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova begin to show the parallels between police brutality and state oppression in Russia and
5243-540: The 18th century, influenced by the Age of Enlightenment in Western Europe and mostly confined to the aristocracy . Throughout the 19th century, the idea of feminism remained closely tied to revolutionary politics and to social reform. In the 20th century Russian feminists, inspired by socialist doctrine, shifted their focus from philanthropic works to labor organizing among peasants and factory workers . After
5350-497: The 1970s, while women's liberation was a mainstream term in American public discourse, no comparable movement existed in the Soviet Union, despite gender-based income inequality and a rate of additional work in the household greater than that experienced by American women. There were also double standards in social norms and expectations. "A man can fool around with other women, drink, even be lackadaisical toward his job, and this
5457-638: The 1990s was not explicitly feminist ; women attempted to improve their financial and social conditions through any practical means. From this struggle emerged female communities which empowered many women to assert themselves in their pursuit of work, equitable treatment and political voice. Political and economic transformation in post-Soviet Russia caused deep economic decline in the 1990s and particular financial struggles for women. Although many held jobs, women were also expected to be homemakers. Soviet working women often received extensive employment benefits, such as long child-care leaves, which pushed women into
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#17327836529785564-490: The 1990s were often in low-wage sectors, and many job descriptions specified that only young, attractive women need apply. Employed women often received significantly less pay than men doing the same work. In 2003, 43 percent of local administrators in St. Petersburg were women. In 2012, the feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot performed publicity stunts to show their opposition to Vladimir Putin , and have faced criticism from
5671-511: The 21st century, some Russian feminists, such as the punk-rock band Pussy Riot , have again aligned themselves with anti-government movements, as in the 2012 demonstrations against Russian president Vladimir Putin , which led to a lawyer representing the Russian Orthodox Church calling feminism a mortal sin . Russian feminism originated in the 18th century, influenced by the Western European Enlightenment and
5778-539: The Church, insisted this view "does not correspond with reality" and called feminism a "mortal sin". In 2022, Feminist Anti-War Resistance launched itself with a manifesto opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine , and organizing a symbolic laying of flowers at Soviet war memorials on International Women's Day . Pyotr Verzilov Pyotr Yurievich Verzilov (Russian: Пётр Ю́рьевич Верзилов , IPA: [ˈpʲɵtr vʲɪrˈzʲiləf] ; born 25 October 1987)
5885-522: The Decembrist women insisted that they were simply doing their duty to their family. While in Siberia, some of them cared not only for their own relatives, but also for the other prisoners. They also set up important institutions like libraries and clinics, as well as arranging lectures and concerts. In the historical writing of the time, the humble devotion of the Decembrist women was contrasted with
5992-539: The Emperor to create and fund higher education courses for women. She was also a founding member of the Russian Women's Mutual Philanthropic Society and responsible for helping to organize the All-Women's Congress of 1908. Stasova, Trubnikova, and Anna Filosofova became close friends and allies, and were referred to by their contemporaries as the "triumvirate". The three spent much of their lives working to advance
6099-683: The Great in the 18th century created a new class of educated women, such as Princess Natalia Sheremeteva , whose 1767 Notes was the first autobiography by a woman in Russia. In the 19th century, Sheremeteva was one of the "Decembrist women", the female relatives of the Decembrists . The male Decembrists were a group of aristocratic revolutionaries who in 1825 were convicted of plotting to overthrow Emperor Nicholas I , and many of whom were sentenced to serve in labor camps in Siberia . Though
6206-482: The Internet. Tolokonnikova, her husband, Pyotr Verzilov , and Samutsevich were members of the anarchist art collective " Voina " from the group's early days in 2007, until an acrimonious split in 2009. Following the split, they formed a separate Moscow-based group, also named "Voina", saying that they had as much right to use the name as Voina founder Oleg Vorotnikov. Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich gave
6313-483: The Radio 's Dave Sitek , released the single and video "Bad Apples". The song is a statement against corruption in the criminal justice system. In December 2019, Pussy Riot, together with Vic Mensa and Junglepussy , released the song "Hangerz." The song was written in response to Alabama's anti-abortion legislation. All proceeds from the song will go towards Planned Parenthood . In October 2020, Pussy Riot, along with
6420-659: The Russian government permitted a limited set of courses for women on advanced subjects (including "chemistry, history, anatomy, zoology, and Russian literature"). Stasova organized these and recruited the professors to teach them; the courses began in January 1870. Attended by over 200 women, they became known as the Vladimirskii courses, after their host beginning in 1872, the Vladimir college. The Vladimirskii courses were shut down in 1875. After further activism from
6527-545: The Soviet Union the first country to do so; however, it was banned again between 1936 and 1955. In 1922, marital rape was made illegal in the Soviet Union. Generous maternity leave was legally required, and a national network of child-care centers was established. The country's first constitution recognized the equal rights of women. Though the prevailing Soviet ideology stressed total gender equality, and many Soviet women held jobs and advanced degrees, they did not participate in core political roles and institutions. Above
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#17327836529786634-445: The Tsar (then Alexander II ). However, these were rapidly taken up, overwhelmingly by women. The triumvirate also appealed to war minister Dmitry Milyutin , who agreed to host the courses after being persuaded by his wife, daughter, and Filosofova. Tolstoy countered by allowing the lectures at his own apartments, where he could monitor them. The political movement in favor of women's education continued to grow, and by October 1869,
6741-461: The United States, feminism evolved to general "women's issues", whereas in Russia that was not the case. In Russia feminism was seen as something "that could destroy Russia", as said by Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church . Pussy Riot members were outspoken in their support of LGBT rights , and in a 2012 interview confirmed that the group included at least one member of a sexual minority . Both Tolokonnikova and Samutsevich participated in
6848-424: The United States. On 2015 the Anti-Corruption Foundation released Chaika about Yury Chaika and his family. On February 3, 2016 Pussy Riot released a satirical music video titled Chaika , alluding to Navalny's findings. In response to Donald Trump 's candidacy, Pussy Riot released the song and video "Make America Great Again" in October 2016. The video depicts a dystopian world where Trump, played by one of
6955-430: The West . The case was taken up by human rights groups , including Amnesty International , which designated the women as prisoners of conscience , and by a number of prominent entertainers. Public opinion in Russia was generally less sympathetic towards the band members. Having served 21 months, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were released on December 23, 2013, after the State Duma approved an amnesty . In February 2014,
7062-439: The air. The song took its title from Russian anarcho-communist Peter Kropotkin , and metaphorically concerned the assassination of " Kremlin bastards" by fatal poisoning. On December 14, 2011, the group performed atop a garage beside the Moscow Detention Center No. 1 prison, where opposition activists were being held among the prisoners. Political activists Alexey Navalny and Ilya Yashin had been arrested one week earlier at
7169-402: The band members, is the president. Trump enforces his values through beatings, shaming, and branding of victims delivered by stormtroopers. As the thugs torture their victims, Pussy Riot sings the following lyrics: "Let other people in/ Listen to your women/ Stop killing black children/ Make America great again". Jonas Åkerlund directed this video. In March 2018 Pussy Riot, together with TV on
7276-413: The banned 2011 Moscow Gay Pride rally in Moscow, and were briefly detained after the rally was broken up by police. In a 2018 interview Tolokonnikova spoke about the importance of transgender rights to the band, explaining that she rejected gender essentialism and stating that "we believe you don't actually have to have a vagina or clitoris to be a woman, and having a clitoris doesn't necessarily make you
7383-459: The cause of women, leading the first organized feminist movement in the Russian Empire. The triumvirate, alongside a number of others, founded the Society for Cheap Lodgings and Other Benefits for the Citizens of St. Petersburg in 1859. The group had two factions, the "German party" and the "Russian party", which differed on their preferred approach. The "Germans" favored a then-traditional method of philanthropy that involved close supervision of
7490-408: The church's traditionalist views on women ("So as not to offend His Holiness, women must bear children and love"). They used the crude epithet " Sran Gospodnya ", which has been used to translate "holy shit" in Hollywood movies, but is rarely used in idiomatic Russian; it literally translates as "shit of the Lord". They later explained "It is an idiomatic expression, related to the previous verse – about
7597-419: The equal of man," he wrote in 1919, two years after the Revolution, following the Marxist theories that underlaid Soviet communism , "it is necessary to be socialized and for women to participate in common productive labor. Then woman will be the equal of man." In practice, Russian women saw massive gains in their rights under Socialism. Women's suffrage was granted. Abortion was legalized in 1920, making
7704-551: The fall of the Soviet Union, feminist circles began to emerge among intelligentsia women in major cultural centers like Moscow and St. Petersburg . In the 1990s, Russian women were hesitant to use the term "feminist" to describe themselves, because they believed it to have negative connotations throughout Russian history, and especially after the Revolution, when it was equated with the "proletariat" woman who only cares for her career, not her family. Russian women's activism in
7811-480: The fusion of Moscow patriarchy and the government. 'Holy shit' is our evaluation of the situation in the country." They referred to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill I , as a " suka " (bitch) and accused him of believing more in Putin than in God. Growing ties between church and state in Russia were a target of criticism and protest. The Russian Patriarch Kirill had openly supported Putin's 2012 re-election, calling Putin
7918-578: The ground in a chokehold. In their music video for this song, band members wear Russian riot police uniforms and are slowly buried alive as they sing. They wear these specific uniforms because they are worn by Russian police during clashes between police and protesters for change, and to make the statement that illegal violence not only kills the oppressed, but slowly kills the oppressors. According to Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova, "Policemen, soldiers, agents, they become hostages and are buried with those they kill, both figuratively and literally". The symbolism behind
8025-500: The group explained their political positions further, saying that members' perspectives ranged from anarchist to liberal left , but that all were united by feminism, anti-authoritarianism and opposition to Putin, whom members regard as continuing the "aggressive imperial politics" of the Soviet Union . Group concerns include education, health care , and the centralization of power, and the group supports regional autonomy and grass-roots organizing. Members regard unsanctioned rallies as
8132-710: The group performed a song on the Lobnoye Mesto in Red Square , entitled "Putin Zassal". The title was variously translated by English language media as "Putin has Pissed Himself", "Putin Chickened Out", "Putin Got Scared" and "Putin is Wetting Himself". The song called for a popular revolt against the Russian government and an occupation of Red Square. According to a Pussy Riot member identified as "Shayba",
8239-571: The internet. The group's lyrical themes included feminism, LGBT rights , opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policies , and Putin's links to the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church . The group gained global notoriety when five members of the group staged a performance inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on February 21, 2012. The song, also referred to as "Punk Prayer" implored that divine intervention-Mother Mary-could drive President Vladimir Putin out of Russia. The group's actions were condemned as sacrilegious by
8346-413: The intrigues and hedonism of female aristocrats of the 18th century, like Catherine the Great , whose excesses were seen as the danger of too-sudden liberation for women. Although they did not explicitly espouse a feminist agenda, the Decembrist women were used as an example by later generations of Russian feminists, whose concern for gender equality was also tied to revolutionary political agendas. In
8453-470: The jailed Pussy Riot members published a letter, via their lawyer, disowning Verzilov as their spokesman. They said he had "seized representation and decision-making of Pussy Riot" and had misrepresented their views. "The only person who can legitimately represent the group is a girl in a balaclava ," they stated. Verzilov's actions were "treacherous to punk." He is also among the founders of news website MediaZona , which since 2014 has reported critically on
8560-600: The judge will certainly remember my clients, and could easily take offense to it, and therefore could not make an objective decision". The three detained members of Pussy Riot were declared political prisoners by the Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners (SPP). On March 25, Amnesty International named them prisoners of conscience due to "the severity of the response of the Russian authorities". Feminism in Russia In Russia , feminism originated in
8667-472: The late 19th century, other aristocratic women began to turn away from refined society life and focused on feminist reform. Among them was Anna Pavlovna Filosofova , a woman from an aristocratic Moscow family married to a high-ranking bureaucrat , who devoted her energy to various societies and projects to benefit the poor and underprivileged in Russian society, including women. Together with Maria Trubnikova , Nadezhda Stasova and Evgenia Konradi , she lobbied
8774-493: The legal system and law enforcement practice. In mid-July 2018, along with Veronika Nikulshina , Olga Pakhtusova and Olga Kurachyova, he was jailed for 15 days after invading the pitch wearing fake police uniforms during the World Cup final. The judge also banned the four from attending sports events for three years. On 21 June 2020, Verzilov was taken from his apartment and held by anti-extremist police. In 2021, Verzilov
8881-646: The menial work in Soviet society: "How can one fail to feel shame and compassion at the sight of our women carrying heavy barrows of stones for paving the street?" Smith wrote that many women he talked to complained that their emancipation had in fact been exploitation, since economic circumstances effectively compelled them to work while they retained their domestic responsibilities at home, and they were often tired; and that in contrast to Western women, Soviet women regularly saw their idea of liberation as working less and having more opportunity to stay at home. He recounted
8988-493: The middle levels, political and economic leaders were overwhelmingly male . While propaganda claimed, accurately, that more women sat in the Supreme Soviet than in most democratic countries' legislative bodies combined, only two women, Yekaterina Furtseva and (in its last year of existence) Galina Semyonova , were ever members of the party's Politburo , arguably the most important component of country's government. By
9095-476: The most varied jobs, and many of them are well educated, have a profession, and are financially independent of men. And yet, in this very society among these very women, a patriarchal social order and its psychology thrive. Sexist attitudes still prevailed across Soviet society. Men in the leadership often did not take women or their ideas seriously, and excluded them from many discussions. Domestic violence and sexual harassment continued to exist, although to
9202-504: The new government would offer little assistance with their economic and social struggles. Citizens of the Soviet Union could file complaints and receive redress through the Communist Party , but the post-Soviet government had not developed systems of state recourse. Women began to form their own networks of resource sharing and emotional support, which sometimes developed into grassroots organizations . During glasnost and after
9309-400: The outcome of the 2016 United States presidential election was declared and released "Make America Great Again", depicting a dystopian world where President Trump enforced his values through beatings, shaming, and branding by stormtroopers. In describing the video, Rolling Stone magazine noted that "jaunty, carefree music contrasts with the brutal events depicted on screen." Pussy Riot is
9416-566: The poor. The "Russians" focused on self-help and direct aid, attempting to avoid patronization and maintain the privacy of those aided. In early 1861, the organization split in two, with the Stasova-Trubnikova-Filosofova triumvirate leading the "Russians". The reduced group's charter was approved in February 1861. The organization provided housing and work as seamstresses to its female clients (primarily widows and wives whose husbands had abandoned them). It included
9523-510: The prominent role of women as a symbol for democracy and freedom in the French Revolution . Notable Russian intellectual figures of the following, 19th century, such as Alexander Pushkin and Alexander Herzen wrote positively about the increased power and independence of women in their society and supported the growing concern for gender equality. In aristocratic Russian society, the greater freedoms allowed to women led to
9630-402: The rise of the powerful, socially-connected woman, including such iconic figures as Catherine the Great , Maria Naryshkina , and Countess Maria Razumovskaya . Women also began to compete with men in the literary sphere, with Russian women authors, poets, and memoirists increasing in popularity. The loosening of restrictions on women's education and personal freedom that were enacted by Peter
9737-410: The role of housewife. In the 1990s domestic work grew increasingly demanding as acquiring goods became more time-consuming in the restructured economy. Women's benefits also made them less attractive employees, and during privatization many companies fired women. While 90% of women were in the labor market in the 1980s, by 1991 women made up 70–80% of unemployed Russians. Those jobs available to women in
9844-479: The song was inspired by the events of December 24, 2011 , during which approximately 100,000 people attended anti-Putin rallies in central Moscow. She told the Financial Times: "We saw how troops were moving around Moscow, there were helicopters in the sky, the military was put on alert. The regime just wet its pants on that day. And the symbol of the regime is Putin." During the performance a member ignited
9951-627: The spring of 2018 during the band's first North American tour, Tolokonnikova stated that economic inequality "is a big issue for Pussy Riot", highlighting that such inequality was a notable feature of both Russian and American society, and that discussion of inequality was absent from mainstream political discourse in both the US and Europe. The group was organized in part due to anger over what members saw as government policies that discriminated against women, citing legislation that "placed restrictions on legal abortions". According to Tolokonnikova, Pussy Riot
10058-441: The start, the group was relatively unknown, but this changed following a February 2012 performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour . Following the performance, three women, Maria Alyokhina , Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova , were publicly identified and eventually convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. Two other women involved fled the country and have never been named. Tolokonnikova
10165-484: The three were held in custody until their trial began in late July. On August 17, 2012, Alyokhina, Samutsevich and Tolokonnikova were all convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and each sentenced to two years' imprisonment. On October 10, following an appeal, Samutsevich was freed on probation and her sentence suspended . The sentences of the other two women were upheld. The trial and sentence attracted considerable attention and criticism, particularly in
10272-613: The triumvirate, the Bestuzhev Courses began in 1878; they were a "permanent educational institution for women." The radicalism of some of the students led to criticism, and the courses were shut down in 1886. By 1889, Stasova persuaded the Tsar (then Alexander III ) to permit the courses to reopen. However, as part of Konstantin Pobedonostsev 's efforts to bring educational institutions under government control, Stasova
10379-404: The two, saying that although they were glad for their release, the members were anti-capitalistic and did not support their use of Pussy Riot to make money from songs and tours. After failing to prevent them from using the Pussy Riot name, they declared the group dead. In 2015, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina went their own ways and although they still follow similar paths and keep in touch, Pussy Riot
10486-413: The wives, sisters, and mothers of the Decembrist men shared the same liberal democratic political views as their male relatives, they were not charged with treason , because they were women ; however, 11 of them, including Sheremeteva and Princess Mariya Volkonskaya , still chose to accompany their husbands, brothers, and sons to the labor camps . Though they were portrayed as heroes in popular culture,
10593-568: Was "part of the global anti-capitalist movement, which consists of anarchists, Trotskyists , feminists and autonomists." For Pussy Riot, their music, politics, and performances stand in solidarity with other leftist freedom movements. In a February 2012 interview with Vice magazine, Pussy Riot member "Serafima" named her major feminist influences as Simone de Beauvoir , Andrea Dworkin , Emmeline Pankhurst , Shulamith Firestone , Kate Millett , Rosi Braidotti and Judith Butler . Pussy Riot saw themselves as feminist artists who were influenced by
10700-499: Was a student at the Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing in Moscow. Samutsevich joined Voina in 2008, at the same time as Ailyokhina. She is a computer programmer and a former member of Moscow's Rodchenko School of Photography and Multimedia . Samutsevich's hooliganism sentence was commuted and following release, she disappeared from the public eye. During the trial, Verzilov lobbied on behalf of all three band members, but
10807-505: Was flown to Berlin, Germany, for further medical care and examination at the Charité hospital. On 17 September, it was reported that Verzilov was gradually recovering. On 18 September, doctors at the German hospital said in a statement that it was "highly probable" that Verzilov had been poisoned, that the cause was being investigated, but that he was going to make a complete recovery. In
10914-450: Was forced to step down as director, officially accused of "inefficiency and muddleheadedness". She and her colleagues were replaced by "more compliant" government bureaucrats. At the end of the century, some of the most widely read Russian literary figures focused on feminist motifs in their works. In his later years, Leo Tolstoy argued against the traditional institution of marriage , comparing it to forced prostitution and slavery ,
11021-559: Was in critical condition in a toxicological department of the Bakhrushin City Clinical Hospital in Moscow. Doctors at the clinic suggested an overdose or poisoning with anticholinergic drugs, which are used to treat a variety of conditions, including dizziness, ulcers, insomnia, and asthma. His relatives suspected poisoning to be the cause, saying that he didn't take such medicine. The hospitalization took place just after he had visited court proceedings against
11128-427: Was later dismissed after it was reported that he was the band's producer. The prisoners wrote a letter saying “The only person who has the right to represent the group is a woman with a balaclava.” Following release, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina said they were no longer members of the group, although they appeared at various events around the world using the name Pussy Riot. Other members tried to distance themselves from
11235-771: Was named a foreign agent by the Russian government, without listing a reason. In April 2022, Verzilov accompanied to Rome the wives of the fighters of the Azov Regiment who found themselves barricaded in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol . The group was campaigning to save the fighters from the siege . Among them is also Kateryna Prokopenko , wife of commander Denys Prokopenko . Days after they also met Pope Francis in Vatican City . In December 2022, Verzilov and other members of Pussy Riot were detained at
11342-534: Was nominated for Best Animation at the Berlin Music Video Awards 2019. In 2021, Pussy Riot's music video for ''Panic Attack'' received a nomination at the Berlin Music Video Awards for Best Experimental. The director behind this music video is Asad J. Malik. On 5 August 2022, Pussy Riot's Matriarchy Now mixtape, was released. On October 1, 2011, Tolokonnikova and Samutsevich gave a lecture on "punk feminism" as members of Voina. They played
11449-407: Was widespread opposition to the education of women, including by the relevant minister, Dmitry Tolstoy . Tolstoy argued that women would abandon education after being married, and dismissed the signatories by stating that they were "sheep" merely following the latest fashion. He rejected the petition in late 1868, but allowed mixed-gender public lectures which women could attend, under pressure from
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