In mid-January on an icy day in Russia’s Red Square, the all-girl punk band, Pussy Riot, took control of a platform in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral, opposite the Kremlin. Dressed in colourful dresses, mismatched tights, with neon balaclavas covering their faces, the group of eight self-professed hardcore feminists began performing a minute long song, singing the lyrics “Revolt in Russia – the charisma of protest. Revolt in Russia, Putin’s got scared!” The group was arrested and held for hours, only to later be released with fines citing illegal protest.
Pussy Riot, aptly named for the tension surrounding the word ‘pussy’ and the aggression of the word ‘riot’, was formed in September 2011. Its members have vowed to remain anonymous; the band believes their anonymity demonstrates that they can represent any Russian citizen who believes in their message. The average age of the band members is 25 and a majority has studied humanities while in university. The formation of the band was a direct response to the announcement of Vladimir Putin’s possible return to the presidency (by essentially switching places with current Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev) in March 2012. Since then, the band has performed flash performances in the most unexpected of places, including on public transport and, in their most recent appearance, on the roof of a prison that held the protest leader Alexei Navalny (held for 15 days after the first post-election protest in December – the band sang “Death to Prison/Freedom to Protest”). The band uses multi-coloured flares, brightly coloured clothing, and strong anti-Putin lyrics, such as “Egyptian air is good for the lungs/ Do Tahir on Red Square“, to attract attention. Their performances remain top secret and members refuse to discuss details over the telephone, for fear that security services will create a disturbance. Pussy Riot believe they have a duty to uphold the Russian tradition of strong female revolutionaries and believe it is necessary for women to uphold the strongest voice in the protests. It is women who are held in custody for shorter time periods, given the smallest fines, and treated with the least amount of violence.
Many may wonder what drives this young group of feminists to perform anonymously and with such passion. Throughout Russia, the young and disgruntled have begun to voice their dissatisfaction towards the current state of affairs. Mass rallies, marches, and defiant street art and music have become outlets for this generation to express resistance to the political corruption, government monopoly on media, and criminalization of protesting that defines Russia today. The Blue Buckets have run over official cars, while the art group Voina painted a 65-metre-high phallus symbol on the drawbridge opposite the Federal Security Service headquarters in St. Petersburg. Like the Blue Buckets, Voina, and Pussy Riot, many believe that Putin and his government, including current Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, can be described as occupiers that do not have a right to be present in the Russian government. According to one Pussy Riot member, known only as Garadzha, “[The band] understood that to achieve change… it is not enough to go to Putin and ask for it. This is a rotten, broken system.” In late January, the mayor’s office heightened tensions by unsuccessfully attempting to push protests to the outskirts of Moscow, where they would not cause a disruption.
Pussy Riot, and other protestors, want Russians and the international community to be aware of the corruption and media censorship that is responsible for Putin’s supposed success. Satirical programmes that are banned on state-run television are becoming a viral sensation, while Moscow theatres have begun staging anti-regime plays. Pussy Riot’s technical team has grown from 15 to 30 in recent months, allowing their performances to reach all of Russia, and the world. The renewal of Russia’s creative class and culture of protest has begun to make waves among Russia’s elite. While Liberal politicians, like Grigory Yavlinsky of the Yabloko party, are being denied the right to register, Putin is expected to win the upcoming election on 4th March. However, there is no doubt that Pussy Riot will be making their voices heard in the upcoming weeks. Schumacher, another of member of Pussy Riot, declared that Russia is ready for more radical action, and the current government is unaware of the lengths to which protestors will go. The Pussy Riot collective, like many others, does not fear arrest and agrees that, while protesting, they are surrounded by good people, who have united with one another against the return of Putin and his continuation of corruption.
Image: adapted from maailma.net’s photo on Flickr
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