Hanging out with Russian rebels Pussy Riot

This week, Pussy Riot arrived in London to play a show and talk about the band’s NGO and independent media outlet Zona Media, an outlet for journalism that has an independent focus, something Pussy Riot know all about the importance of.

Masha and Nadja were both victims of an unjust prison system in Russia during their two years spent in a penal colony. They were charged with "hooliganism" after Pussy Riot’s famous guerilla performance in a Moscow church back in 2012. Since their release, the women have continued to fight the feminist cause, support political prisoners and rage against Russia’s entrenched abuse of power systems.

The band recently released their track “I Can’t Breathe”, inspired by the case of Eric Garner, who died after being choked by the NYPD. The video, in which they’re buried alive in Russian police uniforms, brings together both the East and West’s oppressive, authoritative problems. Now, they’re working on a new book about their activism, aiming to inspire the political sentiment in youth across the world.

Last night’s concert was testament to their support for their home country’s young music scene, with support coming from garage rockers The Jack Wood and eccentric act Scofferlane. Also on the bill was Sonic Youth icon Thurston Moore, who became friendly with Masha and Naja last year.

We caught up with Pussy Riot’s Masha Alyokhina before their show in London to talk about independent journalism, what you need to do to become an activist and how feminism needs to change in Russia.

What is Zona Media and why is it important?

Masha Alyokhina: Zona Media is a media outlet that I opened last year with Nadja. It’s important because we have a really terrible situation with independent media in Russia now. Almost all of the independents were closed in the last year. The biggest channel was actually pushed out from their office.

Zona Prava is also an NGO for prisoners, specifically political prisoners. Zona Media is covering the themes of political violence, the courts and the situations with those in prisons. As human rights media, we also have problems with attacks and government letters – if you have three letters like this they will close you and so far we have had one. We’re small, but it’s important for us to have something independent.

What other independent media sources or organizations are available?

Masha Alyokhina: Committee against Torture: it’s a human rights organization and it’s one of the oldest. One month ago they had a terrible attack in Chechnya. They’ve no office now, the building was crushed. After that the president Ramzan Kadyrov said that the organization attacked themselves…quite strange don’t you think? There is independent media like Meduza. It’s a big Russian team and they are the largest we have. After it was crushed along with others like Lenta last year, they made another. They now do it from Latvia for protection, but we’re still in Russia.

How different are the Western and Eastern prison systems?

Masha Alyokhina: The American system is very different, but it’s also terrible in another way. The Russian prison system is very violent and it’s poor because the government won’t give properly support it with money. The American system is rich but it’s still violent. It’s important not to separate the worlds of what is prison and not prison. They are not always prisoners forever. We are living in one country and we should respect each other and the freedom of other people to live. It matters.

What is the climate like in Russia for political activists?

Masha Alyokhina: When the government in the UK do something people are quick to form and protest. In Russia it is different because there is a culture of fear. Or people don’t know better. It’s terrible and no one right now wants to accept a revolution.

How did this link up with Thurston Moore come about?

Masha Alyokhina: I met him last autumn when I went to his concert. He made a song for Chelsea Manning and dedicated it to her and us. It’s really good for artists to make political statements. When I was in prison it was the only thing that protected me because if they know you have a voice and the world remembers you, so they won’t torture you. It’s important that we talk about what we’re doing and what’s going on in prisons because of that.

Which Russian acts do you like?

Masha Alyokhina: Leningrad. There aren’t that many groups singing in English and that’s rare. There isn’t the same platform for music in Russia. It’s hard for independent music to get out there. Mainstream music in the West and mainstream music in Russia are very different things. Those mainstream guys do anything to be near the Kremlin. Brands and corporations here do not have the same relationships and connections with the government as they do in Russia.

What has the public response been to “I Can’t Breathe”?

Masha Alyokhina: In the United States there was a lot of good reaction. Many people said thank you for speaking about their problems, but for me, it’s not ever "their" problems or "my" problems. International collaborations and statements are the most important. Putin wants to isolate Russia and we want to fight against that. It’s one of the most exciting things someone can do artistically.

How can people in the UK start their own revolution and become activists?

Masha Alyokhina: It’s so simple. In five minutes you can write a letter with a picture for a political prisoner. It takes just minutes, and it’s really helpful for people who can’t see anything except the walls around them. If you have more time you should be active. With songs, without songs, demonstration or no demonstration, it depends on you. It’s from your heart. You just see and react to how you feel.

How has the past year and your experiences informed your feminism?

Masha Alyokhina: My feminism changed a lot in prison. In prison you have monogenic, all-women societies – there are no men. You see how women connect without men. It’s an experience. In female colonies, what the administration tell women will make them follow. It’s because they tell them the only thing you have is your children and family.

If you want to see them again you have to do what they say. They provoke you. When you see women follow these enforced rules, it’s hard. I made a decision to speak with women for freedom. I work with ex-prisoners. I believe to save one or two people in a year is as important as an entire organization.

What do you think about the stigma that surrounds feminism?

Masha Alyokhina: If you call yourself a woman, you should call yourself a feminist. For me, it is one in the same thing. In Moscow, a lot of women don’t fucking know what it means. We need to change that.