Global InformationPussy Riot information
Pussy Riot | |
|---|---|
 Members of the band in January 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Moscow, Russia |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Members |
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| Website | pussy-riot |
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 22 year old Nadya Tolokonnikova, it has had a membership of approximately 11 women.[2][3] The group staged unauthorized, provocative guerrilla gigs in public places. These performances were filmed as music videos and posted on the internet.[4] The group's lyrical themes included feminism, LGBT rights, opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policies,[5] and Putin's links to the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church.[6]
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.[7][8] The group's actions were condemned as sacrilegious by 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, 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.[9][10] On October 10, following an appeal, Samutsevich was freed on probation and her sentence suspended. The sentences of the other two women were upheld.[11]
The trial and sentence attracted considerable attention and criticism,[12] particularly in the West. The case was taken up by human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which designated the women as prisoners of conscience,[13] and by a number of prominent entertainers.[14] Public opinion in Russia was generally less sympathetic towards the band members.[15][16] Having served 21 months, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were released on December 23, 2013, after the State Duma approved an amnesty.[17]
In February 2014, a statement was made anonymously on behalf of some Pussy Riot members that Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were no longer members.[18] 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.[19] On March 6, 2014, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were assaulted and sprayed with green dye by local youths in Nizhny Novgorod.[20]
Speaking as much to western European and North American audiences as to Russian ones, Pussy Riot anticipated Donald Trump's victory two weeks before 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."[21]
- ^ "Putin's trigger". Meduza. January 22, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ "What You Don't Know About Pussy Riot, and Life in Russia's Gulag-Like Prison Colonies". Vanity Fair. January 9, 2014.
- ^ Charles Clover (March 16, 2012). "Pussy Riot dig claws into Putin". Financial Times. London. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
- ^ Henry Langston (March 2012). "A Russian Pussy Riot". Vice. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- ^ Carole Cadwalladr (July 29, 2012). "Pussy Riot: will Vladimir Putin regret taking on Russia's cool women punks?". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ Oleg Kashin (August 17, 2012). "Putin's message: if you're pro Pussy Riot you're against the Orthodox church". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ Pussy Riot gig at Christ the Savior Cathedral (original video). July 2, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Russian police detain Pussy Riot sympathizers in cathedral". Reuters. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
- ^ "Pussy Riot found guilty of hooliganism by Moscow court". BBC News. August 17, 2012. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ Miriam Elder (August 17, 2012). "Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison colony over anti-Putin protest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012.
- ^ "Pussy Riot member Samutsevich sentence reduced to probation". RAPSI News. October 10, 2012. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ According to BBC Monitoring, in the worldwide press there was "almost universal condemnation" of the two-year sentence imposed on the three members of the group. "Press aghast at Pussy Riot verdict". BBC News. August 18, 2012. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ "Russia: Release punk singers held after performance in church" (PDF). Amnesty International. April 3, 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ^ "Adele, U2, Madonna, Yoko Ono, Radiohead, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Ke$ha, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting unite with more than 100 Musicians to call for release of Pussy Riot". Amnesty International. July 22, 2013. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ "Россияне о деле Pussy Riot" [Russians on the Pussy Riot case]. levada.ru (in Russian). Levada. July 31, 2012. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ "Треть россиян верит в честный суд над Pussy Riot" [One-third of Russians believe in fairness of Pussy Riot trial]. levada.ru (in Russian). Levada. August 17, 2012. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ Staglin, Doug (December 23, 2013). "Freed Pussy Riot members call Russia amnesty a PR stunt". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ Jenn Pellyon (February 6, 2014). "Nadia Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina No Longer Members of Pussy Riot". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Miller, Nick (February 20, 2014). "Cossacks wielding whips and pepper spray attack Pussy Riot members in Sochi". The Age. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ "2 Pussy Riots Band Members assaulted in Moscow". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Leight, Elias (October 27, 2016). "Pussy Riot Slam Trump in 'Make America Great Again' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.