Pussy Riot brings their punk rock protest to Canada

Pussy Riot — to themselves, their fans and even academics — aren't just a music group.

"They're, like, more than just a band," explained fan Matthew Lipke, waiting outside their recent show at Lee's Palace in Toronto. "They're like a movement."

For others who headed to the collective's Riot Days tour, the sentiment was the same: The songs are good, but the Russian musicians represent a protest streak, with importance both in their home country and right here in Canada.

"I think that Pussy Riot provides an incredible example of activist art that can actually become part of popular culture," added filmmaker, scholar and curator — and fellow fan waiting in line — Marusya Bociurkiw. "Which, I think, they sort of have."

That message got its start in 2012, when the punk rockers were charged for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after filming a "punk prayer" protest video inside a cathedral. The target of their protest was both the Russian Orthodox church and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the former of whom they accused of corruption in supporting the latter.

It was from that event their public image stuck — colourful balaclava-wearing activists speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights, and against what they saw as autocracy and anti-democratic actions.

And shortly after that protest came the event that led to their biggest publicity: Founding members Nadezhda (Nadya) Tolokonnikova and Maria (Masha) Alyokhina were arrested and imprisoned for two years. A third member — Yekaterina (Kat) Samutsevich — was similarly arrested, but released soon after. A Moscow judge convicted them later that year, saying they had "crudely undermined social order."

The backlash was widespread and nearly immediate. World governments decried the punishments as disproportionate, excessively harsh and a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms.

"It was probably the high-water mark of Russian opposition activities," said Seva Gunitsky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. The group's liberal stance against Putin and attempt to present what they felt were civil rights violations inside the country to an international audience was an eye-opening cause célèbre — most notably outside of Russia. 

"It was one of the first times that the idea of a liberal Russian opposition entered Western consciousness," he said. "It showed to the West that, first of all, there is an opposition, and there's an active liberal opposition in Russia. But also that they're very much connected to the West and represent the same values."

Thirteen years, numerous arrests and many new members later (dozens of people could be considered part of Pussy Riot, as the feminist art collective believes anyone can be a participant) that message continues.

The tour is equal parts play and concert; its first leg was based on Alyokhina's book of the same name, detailing her experiences in the Russian criminal system. The current show is based on her second book, set to release in 2025, detailing her post-prison experiences, highlighting protests, oppression and the story of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died at age 47 in a prison in Siberia in 2024. 

Proceeds will go to support Ukrainian relief and Russian political prisoners. Their Canadian concert dates mark the group's first international performances since the show launched in Munich earlier this year. 

But as the show continues — its current leg has half of its shows in Canada — their presence inside their home country has diminished.