Pussy Riot is a musical performance art collective based in Moscow, Russia. Founded in August 2011, the group staged unauthorized provocative 'guerrilla' performances in public places, performances that were filmed as music videos and posted on the Internet. The collective's lyrical themes included feminism and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the group considered a dictator.

The group gained global notoriety when five members of the group staged a performance inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ church in February 2012. The three members were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and each sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

The trial and sentence attracted considerable attention and criticism, particularly in the West. 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. Public opinion in Russia was generally less sympathetic towards them.

Speaking as much to western European and North American audiences as to Russian audiences, Pussy Riot anticipated Donald Trump's victory two weeks before the outcome of the 2016 United States presidential election was declared and released "Make America Great Again", depicting a dystopian world where a President Trump enforces his values through beatings, shaming, and branding by stormtroopers. In describing the video, Rolling Stone magazine noted that "jaunty, carefree music contrasts with the brutal events depicted on screen."
Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Artist biography from last.fm