Riot Days Revisited: It’s been clear and obvious since they formed in 2011 that Pussy Riot is not an ordinary band. It’s a collective, performance artists, but their politics come first. Everything it does, all that it is about, centers around activism and manifestos.

As such, an interview with a member of Pussy Riot about a forthcoming L.A. show is not going to be a regular music interview, regardless of the fact that it’s sat here in the Music section. Questions about evolution of sound, the gear that is used, etc., seem utterly irrelevant. That’s just not what Pussy Riot is about.

It is interesting that this latest tour, Riot Days, is the brainchild of Maria ‘Masha’ Alyokhina, and has nothing to do with founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova. In fact, while they have protested together, Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova have never performed together on stage. They each have their own branch of Pussy Riot. Not different versions — this isn’t LA Guns. But different branches.

Alyokhina’s story is long and complicated, turbulent and fascinating. In 2012, she was sentenced to two years imprisonment by Russian authorities for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. At the time, she was a student at the Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing in Moscow.

Many people were confused when she was in a relationship with far right activist Dmitry Enteo, especially when considering the fact that he had protested in favor of Pussy Riot’s arrest. We’re not TMZ when it comes to people’s dating life but, c’mon, that is fucking weird.

Much of her life of protest and prison is detailed in her book, Riot Days, upon which this latest tour is based.

“Riot Days is not a usual musical concert,” Alyokhina says. “It’s a story with a beginning and an end. You can expect a lot of statements and manifesto words, and the songs of Pussy Riot, from the period of the Red Square action which I participated in — and that’s how my Pussy Riot story started — to the last day of prison where I spent two years. With additions regarding the war with Ukraine, and current political prisoner situations in Russia. So it’s musical, theatrical, political and personal.”

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Riot Days, the performance, has been described in various quarters as a punk manifesto, and even as punk opera. But as ever with Pussy Riot, it’s the message that’s important:

“That freedom is actually something which everyone should fight for,” Alyokhina says “It’s important for us to perform it in the United States now, because quite soon you have elections, and even being Russians, we experienced what it was to have Donald Trump as a president and the closest partner and friend of Vladimir Putin who is a terrorist. We don’t want this situation to be repeated. We support Ukraine.”

While, and we can’t stress this enough, Pussy Riot isn’t a normal band, this Riot Days incarnation of the group is filled with people who each have an interesting story of their own.

“For example, Diana (Burkot), she was inside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior during this famous 2012 punk prayer,” Alyokhina says. “The police didn’t catch her so she continued to support us, even while being in danger. She continued to write songs in support of Pussy Riot, during our trial and sentence, and after that. She was a part of the action in 2020 when we put five rainbow flags on different state buildings. She was detained for that. So she’s very much standing for LGBT rights. With Olga (Borisova), who is an editor of the Riot Days book  — she made Street Actions in support of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov when he was sent to prison in Siberia and got 20 years. Finally, there was a big campaign worldwide for his freedom and he was exchanged for two Russian spies at the end of the story and now he’s fighting for Ukraine inside the army.”

It’s worth noting that Borisova is also an ex police officer who quit the force to join Pussy Riot when she was 19. Alina Petrova, meanwhile, is the newest addition to the Pussy Riot ranks.

“She joined us only this year, but she’s great,” Alyokhina says. “She’s a great violin player. Super smart. Amazing musician and composer. Also, we have a lot of video in the show, and it’s original Pussy Riot video from preparations to the actions, and from the actions itself.”

While Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova have never performed together, Alyokhina’s respect for her Pussy Riot colleague is clear and strong, while acknowledging that their approaches are different.

“So Nadja has her concerts and they’re pure musical concerts with a list of songs which she wrote during her life in the United States, and I appreciate it a lot because that was super, super important in my opinion to stand for women’s rights during Trump’s presidency and in general, and her support of women’s organizations and women is just incredible,” Alyokhina says.

While the Riot Days show is based on the Riot Days book, the set does change from night to night as world events shift. There’s an organic evolution taking place, to keep things current. That is both artistically impressive, and horrifying. It’s rare, after all, that they’re adding to the show because good things are happening.

Moving forward, Alyokhina plans to keep voicing her support for the Ukraine. Portions of the tickets and merch sales from the Riot Days tour are being wired directly to the Ohmatdyt Ukrainian Children’s Hospital and foundation.

“This is my personal issue and it’s something that I believe in,” she says. “I’m doing it through different types of art. Concerts like Riot Days, exhibitions which I open now in Canada, in Montreal. I’m actually writing my second book and I’m halfway done. So I really hope to have it finished and then I will start to live, because if you’re writing something, it just takes your soul. Who knows what will happen, but I have a hope that one day I will be back home because I miss Russia. The Russia which is standing against Vladimir Putin all these years and has suffered a lot. This is something which I want to show because it exists.”

Having spent plenty of time in the United States, Alyokhina understands our plight, too.

“When I came to America, I felt it chanbe,” she says. “I felt the catastrophe which was happening all these years. The society is so divided and a lot of people are so frustrated. Somehow they lost hope. This is a disaster, how that was possible during one presidential term plus a pandemic, to crush that inside you. This is terrible.”

She’s right, too, so be sure to vote.

Riot Days Revisited: Pussy Riot’s Riot Days takes place on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Echo.



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