The spontaneous appearance of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich lasted only a few minutes, then the women were gone again. Their stage was the large staircase in the museum’s foyer, on which three members of the group denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal to rhythmic beats and, as usual, provocatively.
With knitted masks over their faces, they condemned the destructive bombs on Ukraine and called for solidarity with the people there. And they made a special sign of contempt: one of the women lifted her skirt and urinated on a picture of Putin.
“No Putin, No War”
An event that probably hasn’t taken place in the Pinakothek before, but that Pussy Riot had already performed on stage elsewhere. They then took off their masks and appeared wearing sweaters with a clear political message: “No Putin, No War” – it said in bright red letters. The performance artist Flatz was also there, having invited the group to Munich, where they later wanted to give a spontaneous concert at the Bahnwachter Thiel cultural center.
Many people came to see the famous activists in the entrance rotunda of the museum. Flatz arranged the visit to show Pussy Riot through his retrospective at the Pinakothek der Moderne. He met the band in 2021 at a concert in Dornbirn, Austria, his former hometown. The Munich resident supports the political background of the women who have already suffered prison sentences, house arrest and other reprisals for their protests in Russia. He has great respect for her courage. “There are few women who have such balls to stand up and make public the political society and dangerous situation we are in,” said the artist, referring to right-wing tendencies in many European countries. “If you don’t get up now, you won’t be able to say afterwards that I didn’t know anything.”
The punk band was founded in 2011. The group combines their music with sharp criticism of the Russian regime. Their performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow became famous in 2012, when members protested against the Kremlin’s policies with knitted masks over their faces with a punk prayer and were then arrested.
