Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
Pussy Riot is now associated with prisoners’ rights activism and media. How did that happen?
I think everything began when we received our sentences for our performance in the cathedral. I was sent to Berezniki, this is a penal colony in Perm region of Russia. It’s 3,500... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
I personally started doing protest-related things that were related to ecology. There’s a nature reserve in the south of Russia, in Bolshoi Utrish, there is a juniper forest there. It was... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
Do members of Pussy Riot draw any inspiration from particular artists or collectives?
Well, I found out about performance art (or “actionism”) when I saw a piece made by the group “Bombily,” the precursor to Voina art group. They blocked off a whole road and stood there... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
I was not one of the founders of Pussy Riot, I joined later. Initially, when I joined, one of the first things we did together was sing the song “Puti zassal” (roughly translated as... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
Pussy Riot is the art of protest. It can take just about any form. Maybe this is a weakness of mine, but I can’t stick to doing just one thing for many years in a row, and in this sense... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
What are the main problems of the Russian prison system?
Well, first of all no one should be in prison for their politics. Political cases against people are just wrong. I wouldn't necessarily call this the first problem of the whole penal... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
How does the average?
How does the average Russian person perceive Pussy Riot today?
People probably have lots of different perceptions of us. I honestly haven’t met a single person who would wish me bad things to my face. I think that since the time we were freed from... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
When I use the word “punk”, I mean more the lifestyle rather than the musical genre. To me, “punk” stands for something like “fuck the norm.” The word “norm” is one of the most important... Читать далее
Political activist and member of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot. Spent two years in prison in Russia for a conviction of hooliganism following a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012.
The Punk Prayer, which Pussy Riot performed in in February 2012 in Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, happened five years ago. That was what we were eventually jailed for. Back then... Читать далее