Pussy Riot

On: Self

Nadya Tolokonnikova is a Russian conceptual artist and political activist best known for her work with Pussy Riot, an anti-Putinist activist collective and feminist punk band. In 2012, she was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" following a performance in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Pussy Riot continues to stage protests against Russian President Vladimir Putin and in support of LGBT rights, feminism, and civil rights.

Self Portrait

Nadya Tolokonnikova

How do you think the changes in the world over the last decade have affected how we look at ourselves?

Activism made a big step forward all around the globe. Over the last decade it became much more socially acceptable to be an activist. It's still very dangerous though - especially in my country. We feel empowered by solidarity inside and outside of Russia, but at the same time very fragile in the face of the cruel government machine.

When was the last time you looked at yourself deeply in a mirror, and what were your thoughts?

A couple of weeks ago, and I still can't believe that the whole world exists inside this very mundane human body. The microcosm thing has been super fascinating to me since I was a teen.

If you had to choose, would you prefer to be yourself in 1920, 1980 or 2080 and why?

I’d say 2080 for sure! I'm very curious about the future. First, I want to know if we're going to last as species till 2080 because we're so busy destroying our planet. Second, I want to see if we're going to figure out how to use technology to benefit 99% of people - even now we as humanity have so much wealth and technological power, we could dramatically improve the lives of many people if only 1% would be willing to share. That's why I’d be curious to see the year 2080 - we have two ways: to figure out how to make progress that benefits us all, or to end up in extreme inequality and slavery.