Pussy Riot

Pussy Riot is more a protest collective than a real band. Comprising around thirty members, ten of whom perform on stage, Pussy Riot is a feminist collective seeking to promote women's rights in Russia and denounce the power wielded by Vladimir Putin. On stage, Pussy Riot perform in brightly colored dresses and tights, their faces masked by balaclavas. On February 21, 2012, Pussy Riot burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral to denounce the Orthotox patriarchate's collusion with political power. Labeled blasphemous, their remarks earned three members of Pussy Riot imprisonment pending the verdict of a trial set for August 17, 2012. The three women receive the support of numerous artists and international personalities. NadejdaTolokonnikova, Ekaterina Samoutsevitch and Maria Alekhina were finally sentenced to two years' deprivation of liberty each.