Pussy Riot are a Russian feminist art, music and protest collective formed in Moscow in 2011. Created initially by Nadya Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich following their involvement with the radical art group Voina, Pussy Riot were conceived as an anonymous, non-hierarchical punk-feminist project rather than a conventional band with a permanent lineup.
The collective became known for unauthorized performances in public spaces, combining short punk songs, brightly coloured balaclavas, video art and direct political action. Their early work addressed sexism, LGBTQ+ rights, political corruption, restrictions on free expression and the increasingly authoritarian government of Vladimir Putin.
Pussy Riot attracted worldwide attention in 2012 after members performed Punk Prayer inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, criticizing the close relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Putin administration. Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Samutsevich were arrested and sentenced to two years in prison, although Samutsevich’s sentence was later suspended. The case transformed Pussy Riot into an international symbol of artistic resistance and political dissent.
The collective continued through rotating participants and parallel artistic projects. Subsequent actions included protests at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, while Maria Alyokhina developed Riot Days, a multimedia production based on her experience of protest, trial and imprisonment. Pussy Riot have also campaigned against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supported political prisoners, humanitarian organisations and reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.
Musically, Pussy Riot moved beyond the raw punk of their early actions into electropunk, experimental pop and hyperpop through releases such as xxx and the 2022 mixtape Matriarchy Now. In 2026, the Nadya Tolokonnikova-led recording project released CYKA, officially presented as Pussy Riot’s debut full-length studio album. Combining darkwave, electronic dance music, punk and politically charged pop, the record continued the collective’s use of music as one component of a much broader practice encompassing performance art, protest and activism.
