Political Girl

She became famous as co-founder of Pussy Riot and an important voice in global protest culture: Maria Alyokhina. Her autobiography is a testament to tremendous courage, creativity and humanity.

Fast-paced, almost breathless and with her own unique humour, Russia’s most famous dissident describes in her book Political Girl – Leben und Schicksal in Putins Russland (Political Girl – Life and Fate in Putin’s Russia, Berlin Verlag, German translation by Nina Frey & Stephan Pauli) her first-hand experience of the machinery of a mercilessly authoritarian system. At the same time, she offers intimate insights, recounting her experiences of motherhood and fear, friendship, love and hope.

With their ‘Punk Prayer’ in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral in 2012, Maria Alyokhina and her fellow activists issued a warning to the world about Putin and the dangers of Russian authoritarianism. It was a passionate call for non-violent protest; they paid for their courage with imprisonment. When the war against Ukraine begins, they and their friends continue to protest. Facing another prison sentence, Maria Alyokhina flees Russia in 2022. She was awarded the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought.

Canadian drummer and multimedia artist Eric J. Breitenbach toured Europe with Pussy Riot in 2025. He accompanies today’s reading by Kammerspiele star Jelena Kuljić with improvised soundscapes, transforming it into an immersive, unique experience.

‘I want to save us – so that we can experience new adventures. So that your freedom and ours can finally come to life.’
– Maria Alyokhina