On Thursday (May 12) Pussy Riot performed at the Berlin Funkhaus in Treptow-Köpenick – with them: Russian activist and punk musician Maria Aljochina, who fled to Berlin from her native Russia.
Concerts dedicated to protest
Maria Alyokhina was recently under police surveillance because of her criticism of the Russian government and Vladimir Putin in particular. In order to be able to perform with her band, she has now decided to leave the country, said Alyokhina.
With the shows, the 33-year-old wants to send a positive signal: “I have hope. That’s why I want to perform. I experienced the 1990s, I grew up in the days of perestroika. I know that Russians love freedom and that it can be wonderful,” Alekhina said.
For Pussy Riot, the focus is on protesting the politics of their home country. In addition, they want to support the Ukrainians by donating the proceeds to a refugee organization.
Maria Alyokhina has repeatedly criticized the president in the past: “I think Putin can only teach us to hate: him and his actions. In Russia and now in Ukraine. These are crimes. Yes, that’s the only thing we could learn from him,” said the musician.
Alyokhina disguised herself as a delivery woman
In order to go on a concert tour, Alyokhina had to flee Russia. Otherwise she would have been in prison for three weeks. Maria Alyokhina had already been imprisoned for two years after she and her band initiated a protest in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior in 2012. Alekhina has also spent most of the last two years in prison camps or under house arrest.
In order to avoid state surveillance and further imprisonment, Alekhina fled Moscow disguised as a food delivery man. “My girlfriend had the idea of the delivery service,” says Alyokhina. “She did the same thing three weeks ago, only it was a little easier for her because, unlike me, she had a passport. But the supplier uniform was really helpful.”
Before she landed in Berlin, she had to fight her way through Belarus, Lithuania and Estonia. To date, she still hasn’t realized what she’s actually done. At the same time, however, she is happy that she managed to escape from Russia. “If your heart is free, it doesn’t matter where you are,” the artist concludes about the feeling after the nerve-wracking escape.
The photos:
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