In November 2011, Pussy Riot—a Russian feminist protest collective—unloaded their guitars, struck on their signature balaclavas, and began staging guerrilla demonstrations around Moscow. Through punk rock songs and demonstrations, Pussy Riot members used the forum of public protest to discuss LGBTQ+ rights, explore feminism, challenge Vladimir Putin’s policies, and expose Putin’s links to the Russian Orthodox Church.

On February 21, 2012, the group gained notable notoriety when five members staged a performance inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, taking hold of the altar and directing a protest at the Orthodox Church leader’s support for Putin during his “election” campaign. These actions were stopped by church security officials and condemned as sacrilegious by the Orthodox clergy. In response, Russian authorities arrested band members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, charging them with “hooliganism.” Striking a chord with Western audiences, the trial attracted considerable media attention and opened global dialogue for critique of Putin’s regime.