Professor Jennifer Suchland has published a timely and useful analysis, "Contextualizing Pussy Riot in Russia and Beyond," in the online journal e-International Relations. By examining the performative style of the punk band, their unique brand of feminism, and the specific site of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, she explains how and why the punk band has had such a strong impact in Russia, as well as around the world. Here are some highlights:

"In addition to their colorful and annonymizing balaclavas, the performances of Pussy Riot have a stylistic similarity. The group is opposed to traditional concerts and has stated that they have no commercial interests.  Their 'concerts' are not your typical crowded mosh pit.  Instead they use a documentary technique wherein they put on a largely symbolic performance and document it with film and photography.  Fusing a hybrid of live performance, documentary film and blog transmission, they construct their message to build an audience.  Like others looking for a space for free speech in Russia, Pussy Riot uses Livejournal (one of the most popular free speech platforms in Russia) and Twitter to post their work and engage with the growing international commentary on it.[iv]  Thus, knowledge of Pussy Riot is largely by virtual consumption.  This strategy, mixed with their post-live style, makes Pussy Riot a kind of conceptual band – a feminist punk band willing to speak its mind. As we have seen, this strategy defies the restrictive state-society relations created in Putin’s Russia by circumventing the constraints of formal civil society.

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"Pussy Riot may be a shock to the Russian system but the group also challenges a long- standing stereotype about Russian feminism – namely, that it does not exist.  The group’s existence, and clear connections to political matters outside of Russia, is proof to the contrary.  This fact has gone largely unnoticed in the popular press coverage of the group and the recent legal case against them.  Pussy Riot’s popularity in the western press is not only due to their anti-Putin antics, but also to the shock-value the group has in the western imagination of the former evil empire.  Since the dismantling of Soviet state socialism, there has been an emphasis on two gendered stereotypes of the 'second world' woman – she is either a traditional woman 'reborn' by the over-emancipation of a de-feminized Soviet model or she is a tragic victim of sexual violence caught in the tentacles of human trafficking.  There is no doubt that Russia suffers, like most nations, from cultural and political systems of sexism, racism and homophobia.  Yet, the misunderstanding and mistranslation of second world “feminism” has marginalized this region of the world in western, and global, formulations of feminism.

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"Pussy Riot is a unique, homegrown Russian feminist punk band with a grudge against Vladimir Putin but also is connected to political and artistic centers outside of Russia.  In interviews they have discussed their musical influences, including bands such as Bikini Kill and Sham 69.  Their song lyrics too speak about Egypt and Tahrir Square.  And many outside of Russia have come to their defense.  So, as onlookers observe the antics of Pussy Riot we should try to situate the group’s message globally and not just in Russia. Their message may not be just about Russia.  Vladimir Putin is power-hungry, corrupt and controlling but he is part of a post-Cold War political landscape that is no longer based on a bipolar axis of power.  Putin’s Russia is not an 'other' but an example of neoliberal governance.  The trial of Pussy Riot is an indication of extreme repression, but the tentacles of that repression exist across the globe.  While Pussy Riot’s unapologetic embracing of the F-word may be unique in Russia, sadly the eschewing of the F-word is not unique to Russia."

Please see the full version for references and further detail!