The story of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot will come to life tonight in the HBO documentary “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.” It will air at 9 PM EST. Three Pussy Riot members were charged in August of 2012 with “hooliganism” and sentenced to two years in prison for a performance protesting Vladimir Putin’s regime, and the separation of church and state.
The 2012 performance lasted only for forty seconds. After setting up in the pulpit of an Orthodox Church in Moscow, they were promptly arrested by Russian authorities and then went to trial. The 90-minute documentary follows not only Pussy Riot’s case but also their earlier actions,, adding to the now-familiar story with interviews of the women’s families and groups which supported their imprisonment.
Although Pussy Riot is an open movement which welcomes all interested members, the three members who faced trial were Nadezha Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Maria Alekhina. All three were sentenced to two years in prison, although Samutsevich was recently released based on an appeal that she wasn’t able to plug in her guitar before her arrest at the infamous performance.