In a very short space of time, a radical group of young Russian women began a series of harassing behavior that would test the government’s discourse on three essential freedoms American citizens take for granted: speech, assembly, and association. A feminist, punk rock protest group based in Moscow, chose their name Pussy Riot “…because of its intrinsic contrast: ‘pussy’ objectifies women as soft and passive; ‘riot’ is a reaction against that” (Heuvel). Even though, Putin believes that Pussy Riot’s actions are contributing to the destruction of the moral foundation of Russian Society. Pussy Riot should not be sentenced for speaking freely about human rights as they were arrested for performing in a Cathedral, and singing about the relationship between the state and the church.
On February 21, 2012, just before the country’s March elections - a group of women dressed in tights, baklavas and dresses, engaged in a protest performance on a platform in front of the alter of Russia’s iconic Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. The performance lasted less than a minute before the candle sellers, tourists, and security guards on duty drove them out. The performance was a plea to the Virgin Mary to get rid of Vladimir Putin, they chanted ‘Virgin birth-giver of God, drive away Putin! Drive away Putin, drive away Putin!’ The group’s choreography displayed air punching and performed mock prayers while singing their anti-Putin anthem “Punk Prayer.”
The band formed in response to Putin’s decision to return to the presidency. “The band wanted to pursue the ‘art of activism’ by staging creative and unexpected public events” (Petrou). Their performance deliberately encourages society to think about things they do not normally question: gende...
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...ntury – it is something out of the tribal societies and dictatorial regimes of the past” (Spiegel).
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No war is fought without the struggle for resources, and with Russia still rapidly lagging behind in the international industrialisation race by the turn of the 20th century, the stage was set for social unrest and uprising against its already uncoordinated and temporally displaced government. With inconceivable demands for soldiers, cavalry and warfare paraphernalia, Russia stood little chance in the face of the great powers of World War One. Shortages of basic human necessities led to countless subsistence riots and the eventual power struggle between the ruling body and its people. From the beginnings of WWI to 1916, prices of essential goods rose 131 percent in Moscow and more than 150 percent in Petrograd. Additionally, historian Walter G. Moss stated that in September 1915 that “there were 100,000 strikers in Russia; in October 1916, there were 250,000 in Petrograd alone.” Moss continues to exemplify the increasing evidence of social unrest and connects the riots to a lack of resources when he goes on to point out that “subsistence riots protesting high prices and shortages… also increased.” ...
Document 7, a letter to the First Lady of a Romanian Communist dictator known for a lavish lifestyle urges for changes in the country. Written by an anonymous women's group, the document shows the harsh differences between the working class and the upper class. The letter speaks of a life where after spending hours toiling in factories or building sites, women can not find a source of food despite the strenuous work they give to the country daily. It clarifies the desperation for change in a time where women are the least of concerns of leaders, and where one woman is living a life of luxury, another mere miles away may not find food for days on end to support her family which leads to hunger and misery. Document 2, written by a woman Soviet official demands that a member of the Komsomol should not allow the necessary veiling of a female family member. This statement was groundbreaking in a time where women, especially Muslim women, were treated like nothing more than objects. Document 2 pushed boundaries and enforced strict repercussions for anyone who would argue the mandatory veiling being abolished in the communist Soviet Union. This document proves that women were mistreated through the veiling, and is written by a woman for other women. Lastly, Document 1 validates this same mistreatment in Russia
Gender roles in Russia have dramatically changed since the fall of the former Soviet Union and the fall of communism. It is hard to look directly at the constitution of Russia seeing as though the drafting and redrafting of their constitution is still underway. However, looking at the constitution of the former Soviet Union, you can see it is clearly stated that: “Women and men have equal rights.” It is very clear that in the Soviet Union they were trying to make it so that women and men were equal. It is still clear today that those same basic ideals are present in Russia. Women are clearly more equal in their country than in ours. In the workforce as well as in the home, women play a more equal role than in the present day United States. However, for the sake of this paper, let us just look at the infrastructure of Russia, formerly known as the Soviet Union or USSR.
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Over the last twenty years the Guerrilla Girls have established a strong following due to the fact that they challenged and consistently exhibited a strong supportive subject matter that defies societal expectations. In an interview “We reclaimed the word girl because it was so often used to belittle grown women. We also wanted to make older feminists sit up and n...
The Communist Party was one of the main sections in Soviet society that was impacted profoundly by Stalin’s terror. In 1935, the assassination of Sergei Kirov, a faithful Communist and Bolshevik party member that had certain popularity, threatening Stalin’s consolidation of power, initiated The Great Purge. His death, triggering three important, widely publicised ‘show trials’ in Moscow, ultimately encouraged the climate of terror during the Great Purge. Bolsheviks Zinoviev, Kamenev and their associates were accused of conspiring against Stalin and the government, with each confessing to their supposed crimes, which were then broadcast around the world. It was later discovered that these confessions were forced after long months of psychological abuse and cruel acts of torture. As Stalin...
Consequently, Russia offers U.S. businesses both high risk, and potentially high rewards. Russian firms and customers admire U.S. technology and know-how, and generally are interested in doing business with U.S. companies. At the same time, there is a tendency in some quarters to suppose that the U.S. is responsible for the changes which have occurred in Russia, especially those which have caused most hardship to individuals and to industry. This sentiment has attracted the support of some political leaders, and in given credence by a significant proportion of the populace. At the same time, a strong U.S. commercial presence is viewed in the Russian Far East as a counterbalance to other regional economic powers.
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