Nadya Tolokonnikova

Russian, born 1989

BiographyNadezhda Andreevna "Nadya" Tolokonnikova is known widely as a founding member of the group Pussy Riot, notable for their conceptual art projects, political activism, and punk rock music. Tolokonnikova has also been affiliated with the street art group Voina. She gained international notoriety with her arrest on August 17, 2012 following a performance in Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. She was imprisoned with Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina, both of whom went on a hunger strike. She was sentenced to two years but released early.

Tolokonnikova struggled with depression following her imprisonment and turned to the visual arts as a form of therapy. Her work concerns gender, reproductive rights, and ecological issues.

Person TypeIndividual