Maria Alekhina (Masha), Diana Burkot, Olga Borisova and Taso Pletner – all members of the Russian punk collective Pussy Riot – received an honorary degree from the University during a powerful and colourful ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral on 20 July.
They each were made a Doctor of Letters in recognition of their inspirational contribution to the arts and a particular notable impact through their work to raise awareness of the importance of civil courage and value of democracy.
Following an introduction by Professor Catherine Richardson, the group performed a version of their song Mama, Don’t Watch TV – their ‘statement against the war that Putin started in Ukraine’ – with an accompanying video on the ceremony screens. They also explained how individual members have been imprisoned, their collective exile from Russia and the importance of not forgetting the suffering of the Ukrainian people. During their performance the group swapped their ceremonial caps for their signature balaclavas, creating a striking contrast to their traditional robes.
Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest art collective based in Moscow. Founded in March 2011, the group staged unauthorised provocative guerrilla punk rock performances in unusual public places, which were made into music videos and posted on the Internet. The collective’s lyrical themes included feminism, LGBT rights, and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the group consider a dictator.
In 2012, Pussy Riot members were convicted of ‘hooliganism motivated by religious hatred’, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The trial and sentence attracted considerable attention and criticism. The case was adopted by human-rights groups, including Amnesty International, which designated the women as prisoners of conscience, and by a number of prominent entertainers.
Pussy Riot has recorded and released several videos: ‘Putin Will Teach You To Love The Motherland’, ‘I Can’t Breathe’ (named for the last words that Eric Garner said as New York City Police held him to the ground in a chokehold), ‘Chaika’, ‘Organs’, ‘Make America Great Again’. Pussy Riot appear regularly as speakers at international festivals, conferences and other events in the USA, Canada, all Europe, Australia, Singapore.
Their latest show Riot Days is produced by Alexander Cheparukhin and directed by Yury Muravitsky and has toured all over the world. The project has received prestigious international awards, including Herald Angel Award and Total Theatre Award of Edinburgh Festivals.
During September 2022, they presented the UK premiere of Riot Days at Gulbenkian Arts Centre on the University’s Canterbury campus.
