Founded in 2011 by now 36-year-old Nadya Tolokonnikova, Pussy Riot is an all-women punk rock musical group/art collective that has stood for what they believe in for well over a decade—even if that means jail time.
In the beginning, Pussy Riot was not created intentionally to be what it is now, and has evolved much over the last 14 years. During a conference for opposition groups in 2011, Tolokonnikova created Pussy Riot as a fictional band to serve as a conclusion for her slideshow. Being recently immersed in feminist and queer ideologies, she took this as an opportunity to speak out against Russia’s lack of feminist movements. Over the years, the group has gained and lost many members, having as many as 22 at one point. They have all faced an immeasurable amount of backlash for combating the Russian regime and fighting relentlessly for women’s rights, many of these efforts being directed toward President Vladimir Putin.
On December 15, 2025, Pussy Riot was officially classified as an extremist organization in Moscow’s Tverskoy Court. The judge who ruled this decision, Maria Moskalenko, had a history with the group. In 2011, she imprisoned three of the collective’s members. Later, several members, including Tolokonnikova, were added to wanted lists and even labeled as terrorists and foreign agents. Now, the same judge has declared Pussy Riot as a whole an extremist organization.
Nadya Tolokonnikova responded to this: “When I was tried for the punk prayer, facing seven years in a labor camp, I told the judge and prosecutors that I was still freer than they would ever be. Today, exiled from my own country, I still feel the same. I can say what I think about Putin- that he is an aging sociopath spreading his venom around the world like cancer. In today’s Russia, telling the truth is extremism. So be it- we’re proud extremists, then.“
Today, Tolokonnikova resides outside of Russia for her safety, and Pussy Riot’s future is unfortunately unclear due to the issues they have faced with law enforcement. But evidently, this has not ceased their fight against misogyny and injustice before. We hope that these recent changes do not put an end to Pussy Riot, and that we will continue to see their inspiring journey through social media and global performances.
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