- Music
- 03 Feb 16
The Russian groups new single is a satirical look at Russia's Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika and is accompanied by a video directed by the bands Nadya Tolokonnikova and Andrey Fenøčka
The video comes after late last year a documentary was released by Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny. The 40-minute documentary, which was accompanied by a report, suggests that the Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika has close links with a Russian gang.
TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek produced the single and Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot and Andrey Fenøcka directed the video. In the video the group is dressed in Russian Military uniforms torturing prisoners in ways such as waterboarding and whipping them throughout the video. The video also contains English subtitles so it’s worth watching twice to know exactly what’s going on in it.
In a statement that the band released to Pitchfork.com earlier today Nadya Tolokonnikova suggests that Chaika and his family should be investigated for their criminal links and he should be sacked. She continues to say that; "We hope that the CHAIKA music video will help to convince people that we cannot live in a country where its top law enforcement official is the brightest symbol of corruption and murder. Pussy Riot hopes that people around the world will help us voice our outrage and turn Russia into a country where people like Chaika can no longer exist."
Pussy Riot rose to prominence in 2012 when some of the group staged an impromptu performance at a cathedral in Moscow. Later that day the video was uploaded as a music video to their song 'Punk Prayer - Mother of God chase Putin Away'. The group explained that the song was in protest to the Russian Orthodox Churches support of Putin.
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After being arrested some weeks later by police, some members of the group faced trial and were sentenced to two years in prison. After the three members were in-prisoned it caused huge international uproar with Amnesty International among others getting involved in their court case and unfair sentencing.
You can watch the video to Chaika below: