After Fleeing Russia, Pussy Riot Pushes Forward

Pussy Riot is the most dangerous punk band in the world, according to the Russian government.

The Moscow-based protest collective became a target of the Kremlin immediately after introducing itself in 2011 by sharing its outspoken messages opposing Valdimir Putin and his communist policies via viral guerilla gigs staged throughout the country’s capital.

One notorious 2012 performance titled “Punk Prayer,” at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, resulted in three members — Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria “Masha” Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich — being arrested, tried and convicted for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” which carried a two-year prison sentence. The court cases made global headlines, pushing Pussy Riot and its progressive activism art into the mainstream. The band, cloaked in colorful ski masks up until that point, became DIY freedom fighters.

The 2013 documentary, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, a Sundance Film Festival selection that year, chronicled the year-plus ordeal.

Alyokhina, who was released in 2013 under an amnesty bill, shared her experiences in the 2017 memoir Riot Days, and has since developed a Pussy Riot show related to the incident, as well as the band's well-documented and ongoing struggles with the long arm of the Russian regime.

But Alyokhina says she’s never thought twice about putting Pussy Riot to rest or simply stopping — she's doing what must be done to shed light on what’s actually happening in her homeland and affect some sort of change.

“You pay the price to speak truth,” she says. “For us, the only thing we can do is give the experience of our life in our country. We were born where we were born. We believe what we believe. And that can possibly be a lesson for anyone who will come and listen and watch.”

That message may hit even harder at the moment in this country, given the current administration’s chumminess with Putin and the uneasiness it stirs in a large subset of the American populace. But for Alyokhina, performing Riot Days helps those who are feeling off-kilter about the political tug-and-pull no matter what country they grew up pledging their allegiance to.

“It shows that people are not alone. It’s not a monologue; it’s becoming a dialogue, because you’re sharing something that’s personal,” vocalist and flutist Taso Pletner explains. “It’s an opportunity to unite and understand that you are not alone.”

“Yes, I like to think that we are not alone,” Alyokhina adds.

The multi-media concert, which is produced by Pussy Riot ally Alexander “Sasha” Cheparukhin, is coming to Denver’s HQ on Wednesday, April 23.

With over 400 Riot Days performances since its inception, the punk-rock opera has been recognized around the world for its inspiring audaciousness and anti-fascist ethos, including receiving the 2023 Woody Guthrie Prize. A portion of the proceeds also support the Ukrainian Okhmatdyt children’s hospital and foundation.

Before embarking on the current North American tour, Alyokhina spent two months in the war-torn Eastern European country, visiting hospitals in Kyiv and surrounding areas. While heart-breaking, it also reminded her why what she does with Pussy Riot is so important.

“It’s unbelievable how strong these people who are living constantly under the bombs are. The sirens wake them in the morning, day and night. It’s like an evening lullaby,” she shares. “But people are kind and strong. Everyone there witnesses death. Every family has someone killed in the war, sent to the war, been killed by Russian missile attack.

“It’s unbelievable how they manage to keep their hearts and kindness,” Alyokhina continues. “I just want to learn from them. This also keeps me going.”

In 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pussy Riot released the anti-war song “Mama, don’t watch TV” and an accompanying video heavily criticizing the unprovoked attack, while likening Putin and his cronies to Nazis. That, along with Alyokhina’s previous support of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, spurred Pussy Riot to officially flee the country less than three years ago.

Alyokhina, Pletner and multi-instrumentalist Alina Petrova are currently on Russia’s most-wanted list, according to Cheparukhin, so the bandmates have no idea when, if ever, they’ll be able to go back home and see family and friends. Still, Pussy Riot must power on.

“Everything has a cost. If you open your mouth, it has a cost, but if you don’t open your mouth, there’s a cost, too,” Pletner concludes. “It’s better to not be silenced, because if you’re not interested in politics, politics will be interested in you.”

Pussy Riot, 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, HQ, 60 South Broadway; tickets are $30.