Pussy Riot are taking on the Russian government, unfair elections and corruption in their latest single “1937,” and its accompanying music video. The title is a reference to one of the worst years in Joseph Stalin’s dictatorship, when 1.7 million people were arrested, and over 700,000 were killed due to alleged political dissent during his regime.

While the music video opens up with images of Russian protesters, the track itself is gentle, with a soothing pop instrumental, complimented by their vocals. The visuals however, show the group clad in pop artist clothing that is typical for a music video, however each of them have their face clad, with accompanying images of riots, which explore the track’s political themes. The lyrics display emphasize dystopian themes, with the opening verse stating “Comrade major, your tortures are skillful/ I keep insulting your feelings/ Electroshocked in a temple, my head is all empty/ My tasty life’s crunching sadly.”

This particular track discusses the Moscow Case, which occurred during the election on September 8th, which led to the arrest of over a dozen political activists, who were protesting the city’s elections to the Moscow City parliament. Many political dissidents were prevented from running for the parliament.

According to a press statement this track was made to “demand the release of all Russia’s political prisoners and bring attention to the Russian unfair and corrupt ‘elections’ to Moscow city parliament that were held on September 8th. None of the independent candidates were registered, even worse – for making their political campaigns most of the independent candidates were arrested, from 10 up to 40 days in detention centers,” their statement reads.

Pussy Riot have had their own issues with Moscow police, two of its members Nika Nikulshina and Peter Verzilov were arrested for a World Cup protest in 2018, with Nikulshina being arrested once again last September in downtown Moscow by “anti-extremist” agents. Verzilov was later poisoned a couple of days after this incident, and was placed in critical condition.

Read the band’s full statement, and list of political prisoners below:

“Today, Pussy Riot shares their Russian protest music video “1937” here – to demand the release of all Russia’s political prisoners and bring attention to the Russian unfair and corrupt “elections” to Moscow city parliament that were held on September 8th. None of the independent candidates were registered, even worse – for making their political campaigns most of the independent candidates were arrested, from 10 up to 40 days in detention centers. Moscow’s civil society replied with peaceful actions, rallies and marches that lasted the whole summer. Government met the people’s protest activity with an overly aggressive response: hundreds of injured with police batons, brutal mass arrests, bruises and blood on the streets of Moscow. We’ve personally been at those actions, some of us were beaten, some of us – arrested.

While most of the arrested activists are free now, there are a number of people who are going to spend years in prison camps because they joined the protests and tried to stop the police from slaughtering innocent unarmed people.

WE DEMAND TO FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS OF “THE MOSCOW CASE”!
Political cases initiated because of recent protest action in Moscow (July-August 2019)

– Alexey Minyaylo, 34, accused of participating in “mass riots” (which was a peaceful action indeed), currently in jail.

– Sergei Fomin, 36, accused of participating in “mass riots” , currently under house arrest.

– Olga and Dmitry Prokazovy, accused of “neglecting a child” for attending a peaceful protest with their kid.

– Yegor Zhukov, a 21-year-old student and blogger, accused of extremism in his youtube blog (we’re not big fans of libertarianism in which Yegor believes, but being a libertarian is not a crime yet), currently under house arrest.

– Samariddin Rajabazov, 21, accused of throwing a plastic bottle in the midst of the rally, currently in jail.

– Aidar Gubaidullin, 25, accused of pointing a plastic bottle in the midst of the rally, currently in jail.

– Eduard Malyshevsky, accused of “violence against police” while defending himself from police brutality, currently in jail.

– Nikita Chirtsov, 22, accused of “violence against police” while defending himself from police brutality, currently in jail.

– Pavel Ustinov, 24, accused of “violence against police”, while defending himself from police brutality, currently in jail.

– Konstantin Kotov, sentenced for 4 years in jail for being arrested at a peaceful protest in support of political prisoners for more than 3 separate occasions this year, currently in jail.

– Vladislav Sinitsa, 30, sentenced for 5 years in jail for a tweet about the police’s kids, in jail.

– Kirill Zhukov, 28, sentenced to three years after a court convicted him of touching a police helmet visor, currently in jail.

– Ivan Podkopayev, 25, sentenced to three years in jail, accused of diffusing a pepper spray in the direction of the police while defending himself from police brutality.

– Danila Beglets, 27, sentenced to two years after a court convicted him of grabbing a police officer by the wrist, in jail.

– Yevgeny Kovalenko, 48, sentenced to 3.5 years, accused of throwing a trash can in the direction of a riot police officer, while that officer was beating protesters who were laying on the ground, in jail.

Dozens of activists are being arrested and detained every day. We’re witnessing a new wave of political repression in Russia. Ahead of the elections, Nadya and 14 of her Pussy Riot comrades were arrested outside of their home and held at the Danilovsky OVD police station for 6 hours without cause. Pre-targeted arrests to prevent protest by political opponents have become a common tactic of Putin’s government lately. The intention was simple. Create banners with bold images of rainbows and Russian Federation flags with the slogan “PUTIN YOU’D BETTER LEAVE BY YOURSELF” displayed outside of Moscow’s White House to celebrate Moscow’s City Day. Peaceful. Protest. No? 😉

“It’s so sad that it’s not 1937 right now” – that incredibly mad policeman shouted to Pussy Riot activists Petr Verzilov and Nika Nikulshina last year when they were arrested for running onto the World cup final in police uniforms – protesting against police brutality and prison terms for politically active citizens of Russia.

“I wish it were 1937 right now” – I’ve heard this opinion from a handful of policemen and prison guards during my 2-years prison term. Siloviky are often irritated about too many freedoms citizens enjoy today and want to go back to 1937; a year of mass murders and state terrorism lead by Stalin.

1.7 million people were arrested because of political accusations, more than 700.000 of them were killed during 1937-1938. “Enemies of the people” and “counter evolutionaries”, in fact – law-abiding everyday citizens were slaughtered by the gunmen. There were no real trials, most of the people “plead guilty” because of inhuman torture.

What policemen who want to go back to 1937 often forget about is that they were the ones who ended up being arrested and brutally killed too. Suspicious of their own surroundings, being paranoiacs and deadly afraid of betrayals, party leaders would make “cleanings” inside NKVD too, Stalin’s ministry of internal affairs. What policemen who dream of torturing people often forget about is that they end up being shot in the back themselves.

The new “1937” track is a gentle reminder to those who abuse the power – boomerang effect is a real thing, you’re going to go through the same abusive shit that you wished for us.

This “1937” track is gentle, because we are gentle; nevertheless power decides to beat us, harm us, imprison us, kill us. What for? Moscow’s robocops beating us this summer is like a cruel man stepping on a beautiful flower and murdering it just because he can. FSB torturing students and gays these days to force them to “plea guilty” is absolute evil that does not exist anywhere in nature, but only in prisons, police departments and military bases. Absolute evil and places that hold it should be ruined.

Philosophers, scientists, workers, poets had been dying from bullets, diseases and hunger during Stalin’s Big terror. Students, bloggers, entrepreneurs, artists are being imprisoned in Russia right now for showing up on the streets and having a voice. Sure it’s not the same scale as in 1937, but the trend is similar – major abuse of power and sense of impunity that the powerful enjoy. Those in power who justify, or even glorify, 1937 are to blame.”

Photo Credit: Brett Padelford