Since they were arrested in February, Maria Alekhina, NadezhdaTolokonnikova and Ekaterina Samucevich – aka Masha, Nadia and Katya – have been in prison without bail. They’ve not seen their children, husbands or families, and their imprisonment has been extended twice.
The anonymous feminist punk activism collective Pussy Riot formed during the strong-arming of Putin back into power, in that phase of marches and protests. They’ve ‘performed’ I think five times. Now three are in Day Two of their trial, and the rest are in hiding. Essentially, what have they done? Here’s Carole Cadwalladr from the Observer, day before yesterday:
The crime in question occurred on 21 February and took precisely 51 seconds. The five women and a film team, plus various supporters and a couple of journalists, entered the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, jumped over a gold rail, stood on the steps of the pulpit (a place where only men may stand) and performed the opening bars of a punk song.
Here are the lyrics to the offending song. In fact, there are a few lyrics on the Free Pussy Riot website; they’re surprisingly interesting.
Punk-Prayer, ‘Virgin Mary, Put Putin Away’
(choir)
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, put Putin away
Рut Putin away, put Putin away(end chorus)
…
Black robe, golden epaulettes
All parishioners crawl to bow
The phantom of liberty is in heaven
Gay-pride sent to Siberia in chainsThe head of the KGB, their chief saint,
Leads protesters to prison under escort
In order not to offend His Holiness
Women must give birth and loveShit, shit, the Lord’s shit!
Shit, shit, the Lord’s shit!(Chorus)
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, become a feminist
Become a feminist, become a feminist(end chorus)
The Church’s praise of rotten dictators
The cross-bearer procession of black limousines
A teacher-preacher will meet you at school
Go to class – bring him money!Patriarch Gundyaev believes in Putin
Bitch, better believe in God instead
The belt of the Virgin can’t replace mass-meetings
Mary, Mother of God, is with us in protest!(Chorus)
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, put Putin away
Рut Putin away, put Putin away(end chorus)
And here is the video of their offence:
Aside from anything else, you’ve really got to admire their colour blocking. They kind of remind me of the guerilla knitters, who make random knitted strings and shapes and festoon the public spaces with them. I have feminist friends who really don’t get this – but I think it’s about intervention in the public space, reinventing traditional female activity to interrogate the way we form our environment, colour and texture, making private activity public, an imposition of the old upon the new, and implicit questioning. I think you can apply some of this to Pussy Riot.
Unlike, perhaps, the guerilla knitters – from what I’ve read about them – Pussy Riot are also fiendishly intellectual and educated in their purpose: they quote an impressive list of cultural thinkers. It strikes me that you had better be able to get your ducks of purpose on a row, if you’re going to put yourself in danger, though. Guerilla knitters seem to be just trying to make something nice – if anything, it’s a refreshingly unintellectualised approach. Pussy Riot on the other hand have gone straight for a really interesting little crack in the shell: a particular place where religious power-mongering meets political power-control, where there’s a discrepancy that can be exposed – and they’ve come at it from this fantastic slant, which almost points out that to be a woman in Putin’s Russia almost means to be a dissident tout court, via a prayer to the Virgin Mary. And they’ve done it like a bunch of 90s Riot Grrrls in yellow and pink and blue tights.
They’ve taken on Putin. With fearlessness. And with wit. No wonder he doesn’t like it.
The press coverage is impressive – as is the website. Here’s a page linking to articles from all over. And look at their lyrics! I love this: ‘The belt of the Virgin can’t replace mass-meetings’…
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, become a feminist
Become a feminist, become a feminist
Of course, the video shows that the punk song in a place of worship actually is quite shocking. But that just means it’s effective. Putin’s Russia is more shocking. Masha, Katya and Nadia now face up to seven years in prison. The fine old tradition.
Yesterday, in Day One of their trial, they pleaded not guilty to charges of ‘hooliganism’ (surely, in normal curcumstances, not a charge that would see two young mothers jailed away from their children for five months before even being tried). The quote of the day was, I think Nadia: ‘I thought the Church loved all its children, but it seems the Church loves only those children who love Putin’.
It’s amazing to think that after all these years, after the abuses and the murders, after Chechnya, after everything – at the very moment that he seems to be on the turn into a dictator proper – a bunch of girls in tights have got him where it hurts, and could even – maybe – with luck – fingers crossed – really do some damage to Putin.
Following. And you can follow their campaign on Twitter, @freepussyriot.
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There’s a solidarity demonstration outside the Russian Embassy this evening, from 6 pm. Free Pussy Riot!
A Sestina for Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot is a feminist punk rock group from Russia,
and three of them now sit in jail for a song
sung in a Moscow church, the lyrics changed
imploring the Virgin Mary “to chase Putin out,”
the charge being “hooliganism,” and they may go
to prison for seven years for what they’ve done.
Let us consider what they’ve done:
They expressed their thoughts about Russia,
and their belief that Putin’s bad and must go.
and the freedom of speech (and of song)
allows their letting these thoughts out
in hopes to encourage change.
Of course, Putin’s not for change.
He’s afraid of what they’ve done;
opposition’s voice must be stamped out,
if he’s to hold his grip on Russia.
How can a despot fear a song?
How far can repression go?
When Russians watched the three women go
to prison, they cried in outrage, “Change
the penalty to community service!” For a song,
we’ve made them cause célèbre. What we’ve done
is break three butterflies on a wheel — for Russia.
The only remedy now is let them out.
Let Maria and Nadezhda and Ekaterina out!
How far must this fiasco go?
Freedom to speak is best for Russia,
rather than Putin’s futile attempt to change
Russia’s heart by what he’s done:
bring down a government against a song.
Must a nation’s government fear a song?
How weak is Putin to let this out.
They’ve pleaded not guilty for what they’ve done.
August is here now: how will their trial go?
A majority of Russians are wanting a change,
wanting these voices freed upon Russia.
Let it be done! Let them go!
Let their song again ring out!
Let a change now come to Russia!
-Angelique DeVille