On July 17, 2025, the Russian State Duma passed a new law making it illegal to deliberately search for or access online content listed in the official Federal List of Extremist Materials. This new law includes activist organization and band Pussy Riot audiovisuals in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, thus censoring the band in Russia. The law will come into effect on September 1, 2025 and can result in perpetrators being charged a fine of up to ₽5,000 (~$55). The fines apply to anyone who intentionally searches for or opens extremist materials online. The new law even targets some VPN advertisements that can be used to access blocked content. The new law can be found in Article 13.53 and Pussy Riot’s banned content can be seen listed in Entry #1944 of the Federal List by the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow. Pussy Riot’s banned content includes four of their audiovisual performances: “Free the Cobblestones,” “Kropotkin Vodka,” “Death to Prison, Freedom to Protest,” and “Putin Has Pissed Himself.”

For those unaware of the organization, Pussy Riot is a “militant, punk-feminist, street band” formed in Russia that specifically aims to protest against Putin’s government. They advocate for a range of social issues, including women’s rights, LGBT rights, prison reform and many others. They have also been outspoken about the war between Russia and Ukraine, showing full support for Ukraine which has made them even more of an enemy to the Russian government. Although there are many anonymous members of Pussy Riot, its core members include Nadya Tolokonnikova, Masha Alyokhina and Kat Samutsevich. The three are most notably known for their multiple sudden artistic protests in the streets that eventually resulted in their arrests in 2012. Despite her two years spent in a brutal Russian labor camp, Pussy Riot creator and founder Nadya has continued to be outspoken on all the issues mentioned above on both a national and international level. 

In light of the recent news, Nadya has recently launched the Artist Action Foundation and partnered with The Artistic Freedom Initiative to fight the erasure of artists by authoritarian governments and prevent censorship. The Artist Action Foundation will support and inspire artists at risk of censorship by promoting their multiple mediums of artistic expression. Additionally, they hope to inspire younger generations to stand up against authoritarian governments and fight for the multitude of identities that exist within them. To learn more about the initiative and support the included artists, check out their official website.