Pussy Riot, the feminist punk rock band and art collective, has been officially branded an “extremist organization” by Russia’s justice ministry. The move comes after a December 15 hearing at Moscow’s Tverskoy Court, when prosecutor general Alexander Gutsan filed a lawsuit against the group, which was co-founded by Nadya Tolokonnikova.
The judgement means that Pussy Riot’s activities are now banned in Russia. Any individual or organization found to be supporting the group’s actions or social media posts could also face prosecution following the decision.
“Being designated an extremist organization adds a great deal of anxiety and bureaucratic nonsense to my life,” Tolokonnikova told ARTnews. “We’re going to appeal this court ruling—more out of principle than out of any hope that Russian courts have a mind of their own, separate from the Kremlin.”
Members of the Russian art group have previously been labeled as foreign agents, criminals, and terrorists, and even added to an international wanted list.
Pussy Riot’s lawyer, Leonid Solovyov, informed Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency of the hearing, which played out behind closed doors. He said it was effective immediately.
“If you’re labeled an extremist in Russia, your property is seized by the state. Sometimes your family’s property is seized as well,” Tolokonnikova said. “Russia has no issue evicting elderly parents from their homes or opening criminal cases against your friends for being in contact with you. Most active Pussy Riot members are now outside Russia, but we spent most of our lives there, and we have people we care about back home. Now they are under serious threat.”
In September, a Moscow court sentenced five members of Pussy Riot to prison sentences ranging from eight to 13 years, on charges of spreading “fakes” about the Russian military via their videos and performances. In 2023, Tolokonnikova was placed on Russia’s wanted list after the Kremlin launched a criminal case against her for offending religious beliefs. The move came after her performance titled Putin’s Ashes in which she filmed herself and 11 other women wearing balaclavas torching a 10-foot portrait of Putin in the desert.
“[Putin] probably didn’t like that… I guess we got enough attention to scare him as we rallied allies in the West who were willing to stand up to Putin and also to aid Ukraine,” Tolokonnikova said at the time.
She was sent to a Russian prison in 2012 for 21 months for her role in Pussy Riot’s staged protest at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour the same year. The performance criticized the close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and President Vladimir Putin. Russian authorities charged her with hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.
