RIOT GRRRLS IN RUSSIA

The Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot is often mistaken as a duet since Pussy Riot punk rock band members Nadezhda "Nadya" Tolokonnikova and Maria "Masha" Alekhina are the only Pussy Riot members who ever get publicity. However, Pussy Riot is actually composed of eleven women. Pussy Riot got into the evening news when the Riot Grrrl style punk rock band performed the song Punk Prayer - Mother of God, Chase Putin Away at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savor at Moscow, Russia on February 21, 2012. That concert brought a warrant for arrest on March 3, 2012 against Pussy Riot members Yekaterina Samutsevich, Nadezhda "Nadya" Tolokonnikova and Maria "Masha" Alekhina (Never mind that five out of eleven Pussy Riot rock band members was performing at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior at the time). Yekaterina Samutsevich, Nadezhda "Nadya" Tolokonnikova and Maria "Masha" Alekhina claimed that they were exercising their freedom of speech. However, once being home to hard line Communism, Russia is legendary for having no legal legislation to protect freedom of speech. The official legal charges were hooliganism against the Russian Orthodox Church (Never mind that Russia is famous for only supporting atheism). Yekaterina Samutsevich chickened out, confessed to all charges and had all charges dropped. Nadezhda "Nadya" Tolokonnikova and Maria "Masha" Alekhina were stuck with the prison sentence to Siberia as a result of the plea bargain agreement that Yekaterina Samutsevich struck with the Russian government. The result was that Yekaterina Samutsevich was dropped from Pussy Riot. Nadezhda "Nadya" Tolokonnikova and Maria "Masha" Alekhina became heroes in the United States and Europe (Except for their native homeland of Russia where they are branded as criminals). Though they have recorded singles and music videos, Pussy Riot never recorded an actual punk rock album. And though they hated and despised in their homeland of Russia, Pussy Riot continues their fight against the Russian Government one punk rock concert at a time.

Nadezhda "Nadya" Tolokonnikova and Maria "Masha" Alekhina