Nadya Tolokonnikova

Formation and early actions

Tolokonnikova created Pussy Riot in 2011. As described by journalist Masha Gessen, the group began as "a fictional band, invented for the finale of a slide-show presentation" at a September 2011 conference for opposition groups. Tolokonnikova had recently immersed herself in feminist and queer theory and decided to use her opportunity to speak at the conference to "compensate for Russia's lack of a feminist movement, a body of social theory, or a Riot Grrrl legacy." She ended her presentation by playing a noisy recording she had made with ex-Voina comrade Yekaterina Samutsevich: shouted lyrics over a backing track, which became Pussy Riot's first song "Kill the Sexist."^[24]

As Gessen has written, "Pussy Riot is not a band. Pussy Riot is a precise weapon, aimed directly at Putin."^[25] The group emerged from the Russian activist and art scene, with Tolokonnikova bringing her experience from Voina to the new collective. Pussy Riot's early actions focused on provocative political performances in public spaces, using punk music and performance art to critique the Russian government and its relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Punk Prayer - Cathedral of Christ the Savior performance (2012)

On February 21, 2012, Tolokonnikova and other members of Pussy Riot entered the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and danced on the altar, asking Mother Mary to become a feminist, and to rid Russia of Putin. A criminal case was opened on February 26 against Tolokonnikova and two other members who had participated. The "Punk Prayer" action was called one of the greatest works of art of the 21st Century by the Guardian.^[26]

Arrest, trial, and imprisonment

On March 3, Tolokonnikova and Pussy Riot co-member Maria Alyokhina were identified by the Russian authorities. They were arrested on March 4 after being accused of hooliganism. They first denied being members of the group and started a hunger strike in protest against being held in jail away from their young children.^[27] They were held without bail and were formally charged on June 4 with the indictment running to 2,800 pages.^[28] While there was speculation that Canadian authorities might attempt to intervene because Tolokonnikova is a Canadian permanent resident, such intervention did not occur.^[2][29] The trial of the Pussy Riot members started on July 30, 2012, and ended in August 2012 with a verdict. On August 17, 2012, Tolokonnikova, together with co-members Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years of imprisonment.^[30]

Tolokonnikova was serving her two-year sentence in the IK-14 women's penal colony near the settlement of Partsa (Russian: Парца, Явасское городское поселение), Republic of Mordovia.^[31] On September 23, 2013, she went on hunger strike over prison conditions^[32] as well as alleged threats against her life made by prison staff.^[33][34][35] Her letter about the conditions of the women in the penal colony asserted that the women have no rights, that the prisoners must work 16–17 hours and sleep 3–4 hours a day, and that they have a day off every 8th week. Further, she claimed that when prisoners complain they are punished, and that when they complain about the treatment of other prisoners they are punished even more severely. Claiming that collective punishment is frequent, she also stated that the prisoners are sometimes beaten with a particular focus on hitting the kidneys. Another asserted punishment consists of keeping a prisoner outdoors in the cold without sufficient clothing. Most of what she reported has been affirmed by other sources.^[36][37][38]

While imprisoned, she exchanged letters with filmmaker, philosopher, and cultural critic Slavoj Žižek discussing democracy and her activism.^[39] Their correspondence was arranged by the French philosopher Michel Eltchaninoff, and their 11 letters were compiled into a short book, Comradely Greetings: The Prison Letters of Nadya and Slavoj, published by Verso Books in 2014.^[40][41]

In late September 2013, Tolokonnikova was hospitalised after going without food for a week.^[42][43][44] She was treated in the prison's medical ward; authorities did not release more specific details.^[45][46][47] On October 21, 2013, she was transferred to another prison; her whereabouts remained unknown for several weeks.^[48][49] On November 5, 2013, it was reported that Tolokonnikova had been transferred to IK-50, a prison located near Nizhny Ingash, approximately 300 kilometres from Krasnoyarsk, Siberia.^[50][51] On November 15, she was again able to communicate with her husband through a video call from the prison hospital.^[52]

Release and later global activism

On the afternoon of December 23, 2013, Tolokonnikova was released from a prison hospital in Krasnoyarsk, where she was being treated for an unspecified illness.^[53] According to Yelena Pimonenko, senior prosecutor assistant of the Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tolokonnikova was released because the article "hooliganism" of the Russian Criminal Code fell under the newly introduced amnesty bill.^[4] Putin's amnesty was seen by the freed prisoners and numerous critics as a propaganda stunt^[54][55][56] as Russia prepared to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in February.^[57][58]

About her release, Tolokonnikova said: "Releasing people just a few months before their term expires is a cosmetic measure ... that includes the case of Khodorkovsky, who didn't have much time left on his prison term. This is ridiculous. While Putin refuses to release those people who really needed it. It is a disgusting and cynical act",^[59] and urged countries to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics.^[60] She and Alyokhina said they would form a human rights movement for prison reforms.^[54][57] On March 6, 2014, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were assaulted and injured at a fast food outlet by local youths in Nizhny Novgorod.^[61] After their release, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina founded a penal and judicial-themed media outlet MediaZona.^[62]

In February 2014, Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were detained in Sochi by the Adler Police in connection with an alleged hotel theft. They were released without charge.^[63] On February 19, footage surfaced showing Tolokonnikova and the other Pussy Riot members being attacked with nagaikas by Cossacks, who were helping in patrolling Sochi during the Winter Olympics.^[64]

In 2022, Tolokonnikova met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss freedom of press worldwide, and in particular the future of independent media in Russia, such as Mediazona.^[65] Maria Zakharova, Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, reacted to this meeting on her official Telegram channel.^[66]

Ongoing Criminal Cases (2023-present)

In late March 2023, the Russian Interior Ministry put Tolokonnikova on their wanted list and opened an investigation against her for allegedly having insulted religious feelings of believers.^[67][68] On November 21, 2023, her arrest was ordered in absentia by a Moscow court.^[69]