Before we begin, let’s take a look back at the Petr Pavlensky’s career so far. The radical artist, born and bred in Saint Petersburg, is responsible for some of the most excruciating political protests of all time. He’s sewn his mouth shut, cocooned himself in barbed wire, set fire to Moscow’s Lubyanka Building, and cut off his own earlobe with a chef’s knife. In one particularly notorious example, he took a seat in the Red Square and hammered a large nail through his scrotum.

Considering all that, it seems strange that Burger King – one of the biggest commercial chains in the world – would want to be involved with such a contentious character. Yet here we are. According to reports on The Moscow Times, the fast food restaurant is apparently working on a burger-themed tribute to the artist: launching a new menu inspired by Pavlensky’s stunts.

The paper claims that the restaurant will be introducing four new burgers in connection with the Russian activist. One will be wrapped in “edible barbed wire”, one will be burnt “on one side”, and one will be partly “sewn shut”. The final burger will reportedly consist of an egg hammered to a patty with a plastic nail, in honour of Pavlensky’s testicles.

“Why??” you scream. Well, according to a press release from Burger King, Pavlensky “resonates with the public.” The company also think these meals will help bring “culture to the masses”.

“(It is meant to be) funny, with no attempt at suggesting a serious agenda,” explained the restaurant’s PR consultant, Yekaterina Yemelyanova. “All PR is good PR - except for an obituary.”

Revisit our interview with Pavlensky here