A Russian feminist protest and performance art group, they are best known for their provocative activist punk performances. On their names significance, they stated, We called ourselves Pussy Riot because the first word denotes a sexist attitude towards women. Our riot is our reply to that attitude.
Founded in 2011, the group gained global prominence after a performance at Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour led to the imprisonment of three of its members – Maria (Masha) Alyokhina, Nadezhda (Nadya) Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina (Katya) Samutsevich.
Maria Alyokhina, along with music producer Alexander Cheparukhin, initiated Riot Days based on Alyokhinas book. The show chronicles Alyokhinas experiences with Pussy Riot, from their iconic protests to their court trials and prison sentences. The content evolves, reflecting current events like political prosecutions and the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
With over 400 performances globally, Riot Days has garnered prestigious awards like the Herald Angel Award, Total Theatre Award of Edinburgh Festivals, the annual anti-fascist award in Germany, the Woody Guthrie Prize in the USA, and more. Just recently four ladies of Riot Days have got the honorary degrees of the Doctor of Letters of the University of Kent, and celebrated this with an impromptu performance in the historical Canterbury Cathedral.
