Having heard so much about the anonymous Russian feminist group "Pussy Riot" and their continuing protests again Putin and his authoritarian regime, I watched the BBC documentary Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer. The movement is a non-violence, punk, political protest group comprising of around 11 young women, who perform in public places in brightly coloured balaclavas. At the beginning of 2012, three members of the Pussy Riot movement were arrested on charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for performing a protest piece in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Maria 'Masha' Alekhina, Nadezhda 'Nadya' Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina 'Katya' Samutsevich all then faced the possibility of facing three years inprisonment; a sentence which caused a great deal of controversy. In October Katya was found not guilty of the charges after an appeal, due to the fact that she was seized before she was able to pick up her guitar and join the performance.
What struck me the most as I watched the documentary, was the incongruous expression of calm on the faces of all three women throughout their prosecution. They were faced with the hard truth that their country's justice system was clearly attempting to make an example of their rebelliousness and prove that such opposition will not be tolerated; yet they were collected and composed throughout the entirety of their trial. They held their heads high, often with a slight smile on their faces as they were individually pulled through a sea of camera lenses. This solidarity, combined with Nadya's enigmatic air, is so absolutely intriguing to a Western woman of similar age such as myself. I can relate to these women and yet their lives are so unlike my own; I have never lived in a dictatorship, I have never held such a hatred of my country's leader and, although I have felt oppression of women, I have not felt it as they have. If Great Britain was under leadership of a ruler like Putin, would I too have risen up to make a stand?
They care so fervently for the beliefs of their movement that they have sacrificed two years of raising their children (both Masha and Nadya have 5-year-old children). The brutal and excessive nature of their punishment serves only to support the accusations Pussy Riot are making as regards to the Russian government and about Putin being a dictator. It seems all too reminiscent of Hitler's totalitarian rule, and his treatment of those who opposed him. This, combined with strict legislation against the LGBT community of Russia instigated by Putin, as well as the aforementioned Arctic 30 detainment, demonstrates the concerning state of political and judicial Russia and is, perhaps, also an indication of the troubling state of things to come...
You can watch the full documentary Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, here and get more further information and specific updates from the Free Pussy Riot website.
