Provocation and outrage as tools of anti-Russian policy. From "Femen" to Pavlensky
12 November in Kiev, at the walls of the Verkhovna Rada, staged another exhibitionist presentation of the activist of the notorious movement "Femen". This time topless lovers protested against ... homophobia. It turns out that Ukraine is still not anxious about sexual minorities.
Despite all the efforts, Ukraine still fails to “integrate into the European community”. For the simple reason that the European Union repeatedly and for any reason emphasizes the true place of the Kiev regime. So this time, Kiev was thrown into the dirt by the face as soon as it came to the introduction of a visa-free regime for the entry of Ukrainian citizens to the EU countries. Back in May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced 2015 that for the time being the European Union is not in a position to soften visa regime for Ukraine and Georgia. And this is despite the fact that both states are very persistently demonstrating their “pro-European character”.
"Femen" accuses Ukraine of homophobia
Petro Poroshenko considers the adoption of an amendment to the Labor Code to be one of the most important conditions for granting visa-free entry to EU countries to Ukrainian citizens. According to the proposed amendment, supported by Poroshenko, the Labor Code of Ukraine should prohibit discrimination against workers and applicants for racial, religious, sexual characteristics and sexual orientation. 10 November 2015 The Verkhovna Rada voted for the package of amendments to the Ukrainian legislation, which should contribute to the liberalization of conditions for the entry of Ukrainian citizens to the EU countries. Deputies of the Parliament even went so far as to limit the powers of the Security Service of Ukraine, which requires the European Union as one of the key conditions for granting visa-free travel for citizens of Ukraine. At the same time, despite the call of Petro Poroshenko to vote for all the proposed amendments, the Verkhovna Rada still "flunked" one of them. It is just about the unfortunate amendment to the Labor Code of Ukraine. Parliament deputies did not want to support the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, although this requirement is also on the list of mandatory for Ukraine to enter the zone of a visa-free regime of the European Union. It is likely that the ideology of "Ukrainian separatism" and the real requirements of European integration on this amendment came into contradiction. Nevertheless, many Ukrainian nationalists sought to position themselves as opponents of the “decay of Europe” and adherents of national-conservative and traditionalist values.
However, another version of the events that occurred is more likely. Ukrainian deputies, most likely, voted "as it should." And it was necessary to vote precisely so that the European Union had reason to deny Ukraine visa-free regime. The European Union’s leaders are not fools at all - Brussels politicians are well aware of the consequences of a visa-free regime that is hungry and devastated by the consequences of a two-year “jumping” and a bloody war in the Donbas of Ukraine. The absence of visas will contribute to the fact that Ukraine will flood millions of streams completely unemployed citizens for Europe. Naturally, crime, drug trafficking and weapons. Such problems, in addition to the already serious consequences of the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees from African and Middle Eastern countries, are not needed by the European Union. At the same time, the European Union cannot directly deny Ukraine “integration”, explaining the refusal by the “uselessness” of Ukrainian citizens and their problems to European countries. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve some “flaws”, from the point of view of the European Union, in the Ukrainian legislation and political practice, which allow them to be hooked on and used as an argument for refusing to introduce a visa-free regime. Of course, Petro Poroshenko officially criticized parliamentarians who did not support the “necessary” amendment. Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Groysman promised Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, that the Ukrainian parliament will continue to bring the country's legislation in line with EU requirements, which will allow Ukraine to rely on the liberalization of entry into European countries. Meanwhile, the activists of the movement “Femen” (“Femen”) have already noted at the walls of the Verkhovna Rada. Women undressed before entering the parliament, chanting "Stop, homophobic!". Charges of homophobia, obviously, belonged to the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada.
Socially-shocking actionism
"Femen", or "Femen" - is one of the typical examples of modern social-shocking movements. The key feature of such socially-shocking movements is that they carry out their activities in the interests of an external external actor, which may be a foreign state, a political or commercial organization, and a separate group within the political or economic elite. By the principle similar to Femen, many such “movements” are organized and operate in a number of countries around the world. With the help of outrageous actions, they excite the public, help draw attention to any problem, or even simply carry out a provocative function. In response to the antics of such groups, the authorities usually apply the measures provided for by the legislation, after which they begin to present hooligans or exhibitionists as political fighters or at least “modern art figures”. One of the fields of berry with “Femen” is both “Pussy Rayot” and “artist” Pavlensky, who became famous for nailing the scrotum to the pavement and the recent burning of the door in the building of one of the Russian security forces. In the “society of the play”, which by definition is the modern information society, the scandalous antics of socially outrageous movements and groups can mean to achieve certain political goals more than the painstaking and long routine work of traditional political parties and social movements and organizations.
The Pussy Riot group, which appeared on 7 in November of 2011 and was initially focused on the struggle against the political system in Russia, unlike Femen, always clearly defined its political orientation as “third wave feminism” combined with ultra-left (anarchist and trotskyist) views. The condition of anonymity of the participants was one of the main principles of the activity of “Pussy Rayot” and so it could continue for a long time, if not for the famous action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In fact, the action, which bore the defiant name of “Mother of God, Putina Out of Putin!”, Consisted of two episodes. The first was filmed in the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo, and the second 21 in February 2012 in Moscow, in the Temple of Christ the Savior. Initially, law enforcement agencies released the participants in the action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but later, judging by everything, after the corresponding reaction “above”, “Pussy Rayot” was taken in all seriousness. So, 3 March 2012, the law enforcement agencies arrested members of the group Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, March 16 - Ekaterina Samutsevich. 17 August 2012, the participants in the group were found guilty of hooliganism on grounds of religious hatred and sentenced to two years in prison with a sentence being served in a general-regime correctional colony. The liberal public turned the Pussy Riot participants into real “martyrs from the opposition,” although initially Pussy Riot positioned themselves more like leftists and had a very indirect relationship to the Russian liberal get-together. Nevertheless, thanks to the high-profile case and prison terms, the group gained worldwide fame, and Russian society was split not only on the issue of whether or not to imprison participants in the rally in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but also on a number of other interrelated issues, primarily concerning places and roles of religion in the modern Russian state. The participants of the group themselves, despite the real terms of imprisonment, as a bonus, became famous not only in Russia, but also abroad. Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, declared prisoners of “Pussy Rayot” arrested as prisoners of conscience. An even more strange solution was the inclusion of Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich and Alekhina in the list of the world's leading intellectuals in the 100 list according to Foreign Policy magazine. Note that two students and one freelance programmer who did not study at that time were among the one hundred leading intellectuals, beating thousands of real scientists, writers, publicists, and philosophers from all countries of the world. In fact, many leading politicians and cultural figures from the United States and European countries have shown their support for the outrageous activities of Pussy Rayot.
"Femen" - from advertising for sex tourism to politics
The Ukrainian women's movement, Femen, began to gain fame back in the distant 2008 year, becoming famous for its exhibitionist outrageous protests, during which participants in the movement exposed their torso to attract public attention. Moreover, the first action “Femen” still did not carry an exhibitionist character - the participants of the movement handed out pink balloons in the metro to passengers. Later, the movement turned to more shocking actions, helped by the acquisition of the "owner". For a long time, the well-known American businessman Jed Sunden became a sponsor of “Femen”. Since 1990's He acted on the territory of Ukraine, showing great interest in such a popular topic as sex tourism. Actually, to advertise sex tourism, Jed Sunden needed activists from the Femen movement. The movement has positioned itself as a defender of women's rights, speaking out against prostitution and sex tourism. But the girls waged their own struggle with very strange methods - yet public exposure as a measure to combat prostitution and sex tourism is ineffective. Rather, on the contrary - in this way, Ukraine was advertised as the “country of naked girls”. Those people who promoted “Femen” in the early stages of the movement's formation knew a lot about modern PR technologies. Very soon, "Femen" became famous outside the country. And before that there was a whole series of “bare” shares. So, in November, 2009 of the town of Femen staged a rally from the Ministry of Education and Science, demanding an investigation into the facts of sexual harassment of female students by the administrative and teaching staff of Ukrainian universities. The formal reason for the rally was the arrest of the rector of the Kiev Academy of Water Transport, who was suspected of making porn movies with underage girls aged 12-16. 5 December 2009 “Femen” held a rally under the unequivocal name “Lyadskaya lane”, at the entrance to the InterContinental hotel in Kiev. So activists tried to protest against the contest "Miss Ukraine Universe - 2009" and emphasize that the models in beauty contests are a commodity. However, later, in 2011, Sanden refused to finance “Femen” - after the movement began to pay much attention to political actions that were not related to the expectations that the entrepreneur assigned to Ukrainian activists. In December, 2011, Mr. Jed Sunden, stopped funding “Femen,” but by that time the movement had just begun to become known as a socially startling one.
Back in 2010, the “Femen” more and more often began to carry out actions of a political orientation. So, in January, 2010, the “Femen”, was marked with a share at the building of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine. Women, dressed up as prostitutes, held a campaign "SECZit sex", which, according to them, they wanted to show that the candidates for the presidential election resemble prostitutes. Naturally, after Viktor Yanukovych was elected president of the country, “Femen” began actions against his government. 22 March 2010. They opposed the absence of women in the Ukrainian cabinet. 21 May 2011. “Femen” tried to thwart the opening of the “Day of Europe” in the Ukrainian capital: activists in clown suits unfolded a poster demanding to take Ukraine to Europe. The action took place during a speech by the Kiev mayor Alexander Popov. Activists explained their actions by the desire for genuine European integration of Ukraine. Further activization of "Femen" was associated with a general aggravation of the political situation in the world. In 2011, mass demonstrations began in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa; history under the name "Arab Spring". The riots in Arab countries were directed by American intelligence services, and in the early stages of provoking mass riots, social movements such as Femen played an important role. It was during this period that Femen themselves went to the international level. 21 December 2012 movement has arranged a rally near the Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm. Egyptian Aliya Magda al-Mahdi participated in it together with the Ukrainians. The action called “The Naked Revolution” was directed “against all religions that discriminate against women,” but it clearly read anti-Islamic overtones, as evidenced by the participation in the rally of the Egyptian al-Mahdi. The young Egyptian woman came to the embassy completely naked, which expressed the violent indignation of the Egyptian population, including the democratic opposition. Of course, after this action, the road back to Egypt for al-Mahdi was closed, but it gained fame in the West and the opportunity to count on grants from various non-governmental organizations. “Femen” was held and the rally in Istanbul - at the “Hagia Sophia” mosque, however, the Turkish policemen who had detained the latter rescued from the intervention of the believers watching the action. Finally, 1 December 2013, five members of the movement “Femen” publicly urinated on a photograph of President Yanukovych in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Paris. Apparently, this action should have meant the disregard of “Femen” to the president of Ukraine, where the confrontation between supporters of “European integration” and Viktor Yanukovych reached its peak.
"Femen" against Russia and ... France?
Special "relations" have developed at "Femen" with Russia. Naturally, the movement from the very beginning took an emphatically anti-Russian stance. This position was determined, strictly speaking, not by the participants of the movement, but by its backstage puppeteers. In the propaganda of "Femen", Russia has repeatedly been exposed as a "homophobic", "discriminating women", "authoritarian" country. Gradually, Femen switched to provocative actions in the territory of the Russian Federation. So, December 9 2011, the provocateurs from “Femen”, held a rally at the Russian Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, chanting the slogan “God, drive the Tsar!”. So the activists expressed their support for the Russian extra-systemic liberal opposition. Two months later, 13 February, 2012. Half-naked femen activists unfolded the Stop Gas Blackmail and Gasi Gazprom! Posters outside the headquarters of the Russian company Gazprom in Moscow. As it is not difficult to understand, by these actions, “Femen” expressed their attitude towards the complicated relations of Russia and Ukraine in the fuel and energy sphere. Not left without attention "Femen" and the presidential elections in Russia. 4 March 2012, directly on election day, “Femen” activists appeared at a polling station in the building of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Twenty minutes before they appeared here, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila Putin voted. After the head of state and his spouse, escorted by the guards, left the polling station, three girls from the Femen movement ran to the ballot boxes, bared themselves and began chanting insults against Vladimir Putin. At the same time, anti-Putin slogans were also applied to the girls chest and back. A few minutes later, the activists were detained by law enforcement officers and taken to the internal affairs department. Of course, “Femen” expressed support for the Russian women from the pussy group “Pussy Rayot” who were detained for provocation in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 17 August 2012. “Femen” held a rally in support of “Pussy Rayot” in Kiev, where a participant of the movement Inna Shevchenko cut down a chainsaw and knocked down Poklonny cross. The cross was installed here in memory of the victims of Stalinist repression. Moreover, the cross was established not even by the Russian Orthodox Church, but by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. What relation did her cross have to the events around the Russian opposition “punk” and the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior is not clear, but they completed their task “Femen” - with the action in support of “Pussy Rayot”.
Scandal "Femen" managed in France. 12 February 2013, the day after the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI, activists of "Femen" held a rally in the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Pretending to be tourists, eight participants in the movement marched to the nave, where nine new bells were displayed. There, the activists threw off their coats, under which they were topless, and began to knock on bells with sticks, chanting in English the slogan "Daddy is no more!". The inscription “No to homophobia,” “Crisis of faith” and “Bye, Benedict!” Was inscribed on the chest and back of each activist. The trick "Femen" in the Cathedral of Notre Dame made us think about the true intentions of this organization and many European politicians and journalists. While “Femen” laid bare and provoked the police in Ukraine and Russia, the Europeans perceived them condescendingly and even with some sympathy - as fighters against the “totalitarian regime”. But many Frenchmen could not insult the Pope of Rome, even if he left the throne of the Vatican. In the French press, there were numerous publications against the "Femen". So, Bruno Roger-Petit in the article “After the provocation in Notre-Dame for Femen, there is no more place in France” (“Le Plus”, France) stressed that “the example of Pussy Riot is hardly worthy of imitation, of which Femen today is able to be convinced on my own experience. The last provocation of the French "representation" of the radical feminist movement (activists paraded bare breasts inside Notre Dame de Paris, shouting insults at Pope Benedict XVI and all Catholics) allowed to dispel all doubts about the democratic benefactors of the group: it’s clear that Femen are not friends of democracy " (Quoted from: http://inosmi.ru/europe/20130214/205899032.html). After the activists of “Femen” tried to hold a rally against the demonstration of the French National Front, the leader of the latter, Marie Le Pen, described the movement as nothing more than a “hysterical sect”.
Who is behind the "Femen", is still unknown. According to political scientist Vadim Karasev, “the movement is fairly well funded.
It is rather difficult to collect money from donations for shares in Istanbul, Milan, Paris, Moscow. Most likely impossible. FEMEN has good sponsors. And such good sponsors can be either the government, or the oligarchs, or the special services ”(quoted on: http://vz.ru/politics/2012/9/21/599200.html). Very scarce data on the exact number of movement. According to the activists themselves, in the ranks of “Femen” there are 40 activists, topless and 300 activists who are not participating in “nudity”. The informal leader of the organization and its main representative is Anna Gutsol. A native of Khmelnitsky, she 16 October 2015 g. Celebrated her 31-th birthday. It Hutsol, according to world media, was at the forefront of the creation of "Femen" back in 2008. After the movement was created, she took part in many actions. 16 November 2012 was detained at the airport of St. Petersburg, after which she was deported from the Russian Federation and declared persona non grata in the country. Gutsol herself strongly emphasizes that “Femen” is not a political, but an allegedly “women's” movement. Olga Sergeevna Deda, who was already 63 of the year at the time of joining Femen, was the oldest member of the Femen shares. Branches of "Femen" operate in five cities of Ukraine, although almost all actions not only in Ukraine itself, but also abroad, including Russia, Turkey, Sweden, France, are conducted by representatives of the "Kiev branch" of the movement "Femen". Sometimes, in exaggerating the reality, activists go even further and declare thousands of Femen supporters all over Ukraine and even in other states. But if you analyze the actions of the movement “Femen” in the entire history of its existence, then on the video of each of them you can see no more than six or seven participants. Suppose that a few more girls do not directly take part in the actions, but are engaged in the issues of its preparation and provision - but this is still not the three hundred people that the representatives of “Femen” are talking about. Thus, with the help of their exhibitionist actions, “Femen” could get not only All-Ukrainian, but also All-Russian and even worldwide fame, while in fact representing a very small group in size.
Effective information support "Femen" became the most important guarantee of the popularity and popularity of this movement. Naturally, the movement "Femen" actively promotes the Western, Ukrainian and Russian liberal press. With all the seeming frivolity and even comicity of the actions of “Femen”, which cause smirks in men, in fact the actions of this movement and, especially, their information promotion in the media is an integral part of the “information war” waged not only against Russia and the pro-Russian forces, but against any traditional values. Using the image of a naked female body, to which the audience responds in any case, “Femen” has achieved such fame that many political parties and movements, numbering thousands of real activists, cannot dream of. Giving any protest to sexual overtones is a very delicate move, almost always guaranteeing the increased interest of consumers of such political propaganda. Of course, the activities of “Femen” would not have been possible without some financial and informational support from external actors - “foreign agents”, as they can be characterized in principle. In their numerous interviews, the representatives of “Femen” make clear the true goals of their movement - promoting some “choice” facing Ukraine (and it should be understood - to Russia too) - “European democracy or Asian dictatorship”.
Mouth, scrotum and fire doors
If the shocking actions of “Femen”, due to the participation of young women in them and the very nature of the actions, can still be perceived with humor, then the actions of the notorious Pavlensky are an absolute negative. In Russian society, the point of view is widespread that Pavlensky is not a completely sane person, hence the nature of his actions. The same point of view is replicated by some media, but the liberal press seeks to present this person as a "fighter against the regime."
Peter Pavlensky is thirty one years old. He is the same age as the founder of "Femen" Hutsol. By education, Pavlensky is really an artist - he studied at the St. Petersburg Art and Industry Academy. A.L. Stieglitz in the class of monumental painting. In 2012, Pavlensky founded the online journal Political Propaganda, which tried to impart a political context to contemporary art. Of course, Pavlensky acted as a “radical oppositionist” - otherwise his popularity among the capital's bohemian youth would be in doubt. The political system existing in Russia was accused of “cultural chauvinism”, which, according to Pavlensky, should be fought. True, Pavlensky understands artful-political struggle as highly dubious actions. Doubtful not only from the point of view of their effectiveness, but also because it is not very clear - they are called upon to influence the government or discredit the opposition itself. Like many such figures and whole groups specializing in socially outrageous actions, Pavlensky was able to use the information hype that arose around the action “Pussy Rayot” in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in time.
23 July 2012, the city of Pavlensky, after stitching up its mouth with a harsh thread, stood in a picket at the Kazan Cathedral for an hour and a half. In the hands of the artist held a poster "Pussy Riot Promotion was a replay of the famous action of Jesus Christ (Matt. 21: 12-13)". This action, according to Pavlensky, was intended to draw public attention to the problems of glasnost and emphasize the need to combat “mass paranoia”. However, police officers did not understand the true meaning of Pavlensky’s deed. An ambulance was called and the orderlies of the psychiatric brigade took Pavlensky to a medical examination. However, the doctor, examining the artist, said that the latter was sane and released Pavlensky. The action with a wired mouth brought Pavlensky wide acclaim - not only the Russian, but also the world media reported on the artist’s deed. For liberals, Pavlensky turned into a real “hero”, although many Russians immediately had doubts about its adequacy. 3 May 2013 was followed by the next action Pavlensky. His supporters brought a naked Pavlensky, wrapped in barbed wire and left at the entrance to the building of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. Pavlensky did not respond to questions and remarks from viewers and police officers. In the end, the police brought a garden shears and released Pavlensky, after which he was brought into the building of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. Later, Pavlensky explained his actions with a protest against the introduction of a number of laws, which he believes are aimed at restricting the rights and freedoms of the population. It is noteworthy that Pavlensky included the “18 +” laws, the law on the promotion of homosexuality, the law on the protection of the feelings of believers and a number of other recently adopted laws. But the All-Russian fame brought Pavlensky the 10 action of November 2013 of the year, during which Pavlensky, being in Red Square, nailed his scrotum with a nail to the stone pavement. The police were called, which, however, did not understand from the first time how to remove the shareholder from the square. Therefore, Pavlensky was covered with a sheet, but only then it was disconnected from the pavement and taken away.
By the way, Pavlensky was far from the first to try to express oppositional sentiments in the form of "artistic" performances. There was also Anton Glotov, an artist who gained some fame during the protests of the Russian opposition in 2011-2012. Then Anton Glotov came to one of the opposition demonstrations on Bolotnaya Square with a makeshift tower tank on the head. Then Glotov appeared at a rally in a cage and holding the sign "Prison outside." According to the artist, the papier-mâché tank symbolized the “paper soldier” without hope of success, but also the state. The second action, which was more trivial, implied that freedom is only within everyone, and around it is a “prison”, primarily related to the restriction of political freedoms. However, Glotov did not hold brighter and more memorable actions, therefore, in a galaxy of artists promoted by the liberal media, he was replaced by Peter Pavlensky. One of the artist’s tricks seemed crazier than the other, and, unlike Glotov’s and even Femen, Pavlensky clearly balanced not only on the verge of intelligence and reason, but also on the verge of criminal law. Each of his last actions, in a good way, could end for Peter Pavlensky with a prison term or compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Therefore, it is doubly surprising that Pavlensky for a long time managed to avoid real problems with Russian law enforcement agencies.
The initial reaction of law enforcement agencies to the act of Pavlensky in front of the Kremlin was amazingly soft. An administrative violation case was initiated against Pavlensky - petty hooliganism, but the court refused to consider it due to the “incorrect report”, after which the police were forced to release Pavlensky outside the Tverskoy court building. However, on November 15 of 2013, the media reported on the initiation of a criminal case against Peter Pavlensky under Art. 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Hooliganism", in accordance with which the artist was threatened with imprisonment for up to five years. However, the media did not report any further consequences upon the establishment of the case. At least, Pavlensky remained free and held a few more shares. In particular, October 213 19, Peter Pavlensky, sitting naked on the fence of the Institute of Psychiatry. Serbian in Moscow, cut off the lobe of his right ear with a knife. The police, pulling Pavlensky from the fence, sent him to the hospital. But this time the doctors recognized Pavlensky as sane and not subject to psychiatric hospitalization. It seemed that Peter Pavlensky literally longed to be arrested and placed in a detention center or in a psychiatric hospital, but, despite all the actions listed above, this did not happen. Obviously, in the case of Pavlensky, the authorities chose the most appropriate tactic - not to react to provocative actions. Society, in turn, took Pavlensky simply as a sick person who did not know how to attract attention.
Since all previous actions did not end with arrest, Pavlensky went even further. 9 November 2015 in 01 hour 15 minutes into the night Peter Pavlensky came to Lubyanka Square and approached the first entrance of the building where the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is located. After that, Pavlensky set fire to the entrance door to the building, after which he was detained for thirty seconds. On the same day, a criminal case was opened against Peter Pavlensky in accordance with Art. Part 2. 214 of the Criminal Code "Vandalism". Pavlensky himself said that he was requesting the retraining of the criminal case for a “terrorist” article. By decision of the Tagansky Court of Moscow, Peter Pavlensky was previously arrested for a month.
Who benefits from the “madness” of shoppers?
Apparently, after the participants of “Pussy Rayot” were released, Pavlensky was destined to become a new “political prisoner hero” of Russian liberals. Already, the audience of the liberal media, commenting news about the last action of Pavlensky and his arrest by the Tagansky court, characterizes Peter Pavlensky as an “ideological fighter and creative person” whose actions have a clear political focus. Like the story of “Pussy Rayot”, as well as the activity of “Femen”, Pavlensky’s antics are strongly promoted by the mass media. Apparently, Pavlensky carried out an immediate order for the emergence of a new "prisoner of art" number one, instead of the liberated Tolokonnikova. But the authorities, having “gone too far” with “Pussy Rayot”, did not want to succumb to Pavlensky's provocations for a long time, believing that the best remedy against his tricks was not to react to them, or to react purely formally. It was this lack of reaction that caused Pavlensky to carry out the latest antics - the burning of the door on Lubyanka.
According to Pavlensky, or those who are behind him and pushing him to commit these actions, after such an action, the state will definitely not fail to respond - after all, in the eyes of the whole world a criminal offense has been committed against the special services of the world power. The actions that Pavlensky held in Moscow will not be forgotten soon, but for now one of them hastily molded a kind of opposition brand. It is not excluded that if Pavlensky is given a real term or is placed in a hospital after he is released, he will be a non-poor person by the standards of an average Russian. However, one can only guess about the future fate of Pavlensky - it is unknown what other function he has to perform. Symbolic actions have always played a large role in the political life of society. Political strategist Oleg Vedutov described the action carried out by Pavlensky: “There are several moments in the Pavlensky action. Fire is a very clear symbol of the beginning of an uprising. Pavlensky is not an idiot - a suicide. He even nailed the eggs not as everyone thought, but at first he made a special piercing tunnel in the scrotum and put a nail through it, which he drove into the pavement. And there will be no serious and long consequences. But it will thunder for the whole world ”(quoted on: http://rusves.su/news/1447146152).
Regardless of whether the same or different people are behind the actions of “Pussy Rayot”, “Femen” and Peter Pavlensky, the latter are united by the tactics that are chosen correctly for action in the conditions of the modern information society. Particularly interesting in this context is the act of Pavlensky, whose actions most definitely have a symbolic meaning and in fact signify a call to rebellion (pavement, fire). It is clear that the actions of Pavlensky after proper informational coverage will be in demand in the West - as another evidence of the “authoritarianism” of the Russian political system and the need to fight against it with such “artistic and radical” methods.
Despite all the efforts, Ukraine still fails to “integrate into the European community”. For the simple reason that the European Union repeatedly and for any reason emphasizes the true place of the Kiev regime. So this time, Kiev was thrown into the dirt by the face as soon as it came to the introduction of a visa-free regime for the entry of Ukrainian citizens to the EU countries. Back in May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced 2015 that for the time being the European Union is not in a position to soften visa regime for Ukraine and Georgia. And this is despite the fact that both states are very persistently demonstrating their “pro-European character”.
"Femen" accuses Ukraine of homophobia
Petro Poroshenko considers the adoption of an amendment to the Labor Code to be one of the most important conditions for granting visa-free entry to EU countries to Ukrainian citizens. According to the proposed amendment, supported by Poroshenko, the Labor Code of Ukraine should prohibit discrimination against workers and applicants for racial, religious, sexual characteristics and sexual orientation. 10 November 2015 The Verkhovna Rada voted for the package of amendments to the Ukrainian legislation, which should contribute to the liberalization of conditions for the entry of Ukrainian citizens to the EU countries. Deputies of the Parliament even went so far as to limit the powers of the Security Service of Ukraine, which requires the European Union as one of the key conditions for granting visa-free travel for citizens of Ukraine. At the same time, despite the call of Petro Poroshenko to vote for all the proposed amendments, the Verkhovna Rada still "flunked" one of them. It is just about the unfortunate amendment to the Labor Code of Ukraine. Parliament deputies did not want to support the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, although this requirement is also on the list of mandatory for Ukraine to enter the zone of a visa-free regime of the European Union. It is likely that the ideology of "Ukrainian separatism" and the real requirements of European integration on this amendment came into contradiction. Nevertheless, many Ukrainian nationalists sought to position themselves as opponents of the “decay of Europe” and adherents of national-conservative and traditionalist values.
However, another version of the events that occurred is more likely. Ukrainian deputies, most likely, voted "as it should." And it was necessary to vote precisely so that the European Union had reason to deny Ukraine visa-free regime. The European Union’s leaders are not fools at all - Brussels politicians are well aware of the consequences of a visa-free regime that is hungry and devastated by the consequences of a two-year “jumping” and a bloody war in the Donbas of Ukraine. The absence of visas will contribute to the fact that Ukraine will flood millions of streams completely unemployed citizens for Europe. Naturally, crime, drug trafficking and weapons. Such problems, in addition to the already serious consequences of the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees from African and Middle Eastern countries, are not needed by the European Union. At the same time, the European Union cannot directly deny Ukraine “integration”, explaining the refusal by the “uselessness” of Ukrainian citizens and their problems to European countries. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve some “flaws”, from the point of view of the European Union, in the Ukrainian legislation and political practice, which allow them to be hooked on and used as an argument for refusing to introduce a visa-free regime. Of course, Petro Poroshenko officially criticized parliamentarians who did not support the “necessary” amendment. Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Groysman promised Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, that the Ukrainian parliament will continue to bring the country's legislation in line with EU requirements, which will allow Ukraine to rely on the liberalization of entry into European countries. Meanwhile, the activists of the movement “Femen” (“Femen”) have already noted at the walls of the Verkhovna Rada. Women undressed before entering the parliament, chanting "Stop, homophobic!". Charges of homophobia, obviously, belonged to the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada.
Socially-shocking actionism
"Femen", or "Femen" - is one of the typical examples of modern social-shocking movements. The key feature of such socially-shocking movements is that they carry out their activities in the interests of an external external actor, which may be a foreign state, a political or commercial organization, and a separate group within the political or economic elite. By the principle similar to Femen, many such “movements” are organized and operate in a number of countries around the world. With the help of outrageous actions, they excite the public, help draw attention to any problem, or even simply carry out a provocative function. In response to the antics of such groups, the authorities usually apply the measures provided for by the legislation, after which they begin to present hooligans or exhibitionists as political fighters or at least “modern art figures”. One of the fields of berry with “Femen” is both “Pussy Rayot” and “artist” Pavlensky, who became famous for nailing the scrotum to the pavement and the recent burning of the door in the building of one of the Russian security forces. In the “society of the play”, which by definition is the modern information society, the scandalous antics of socially outrageous movements and groups can mean to achieve certain political goals more than the painstaking and long routine work of traditional political parties and social movements and organizations.
The Pussy Riot group, which appeared on 7 in November of 2011 and was initially focused on the struggle against the political system in Russia, unlike Femen, always clearly defined its political orientation as “third wave feminism” combined with ultra-left (anarchist and trotskyist) views. The condition of anonymity of the participants was one of the main principles of the activity of “Pussy Rayot” and so it could continue for a long time, if not for the famous action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In fact, the action, which bore the defiant name of “Mother of God, Putina Out of Putin!”, Consisted of two episodes. The first was filmed in the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo, and the second 21 in February 2012 in Moscow, in the Temple of Christ the Savior. Initially, law enforcement agencies released the participants in the action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but later, judging by everything, after the corresponding reaction “above”, “Pussy Rayot” was taken in all seriousness. So, 3 March 2012, the law enforcement agencies arrested members of the group Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, March 16 - Ekaterina Samutsevich. 17 August 2012, the participants in the group were found guilty of hooliganism on grounds of religious hatred and sentenced to two years in prison with a sentence being served in a general-regime correctional colony. The liberal public turned the Pussy Riot participants into real “martyrs from the opposition,” although initially Pussy Riot positioned themselves more like leftists and had a very indirect relationship to the Russian liberal get-together. Nevertheless, thanks to the high-profile case and prison terms, the group gained worldwide fame, and Russian society was split not only on the issue of whether or not to imprison participants in the rally in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but also on a number of other interrelated issues, primarily concerning places and roles of religion in the modern Russian state. The participants of the group themselves, despite the real terms of imprisonment, as a bonus, became famous not only in Russia, but also abroad. Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, declared prisoners of “Pussy Rayot” arrested as prisoners of conscience. An even more strange solution was the inclusion of Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich and Alekhina in the list of the world's leading intellectuals in the 100 list according to Foreign Policy magazine. Note that two students and one freelance programmer who did not study at that time were among the one hundred leading intellectuals, beating thousands of real scientists, writers, publicists, and philosophers from all countries of the world. In fact, many leading politicians and cultural figures from the United States and European countries have shown their support for the outrageous activities of Pussy Rayot.
"Femen" - from advertising for sex tourism to politics
The Ukrainian women's movement, Femen, began to gain fame back in the distant 2008 year, becoming famous for its exhibitionist outrageous protests, during which participants in the movement exposed their torso to attract public attention. Moreover, the first action “Femen” still did not carry an exhibitionist character - the participants of the movement handed out pink balloons in the metro to passengers. Later, the movement turned to more shocking actions, helped by the acquisition of the "owner". For a long time, the well-known American businessman Jed Sunden became a sponsor of “Femen”. Since 1990's He acted on the territory of Ukraine, showing great interest in such a popular topic as sex tourism. Actually, to advertise sex tourism, Jed Sunden needed activists from the Femen movement. The movement has positioned itself as a defender of women's rights, speaking out against prostitution and sex tourism. But the girls waged their own struggle with very strange methods - yet public exposure as a measure to combat prostitution and sex tourism is ineffective. Rather, on the contrary - in this way, Ukraine was advertised as the “country of naked girls”. Those people who promoted “Femen” in the early stages of the movement's formation knew a lot about modern PR technologies. Very soon, "Femen" became famous outside the country. And before that there was a whole series of “bare” shares. So, in November, 2009 of the town of Femen staged a rally from the Ministry of Education and Science, demanding an investigation into the facts of sexual harassment of female students by the administrative and teaching staff of Ukrainian universities. The formal reason for the rally was the arrest of the rector of the Kiev Academy of Water Transport, who was suspected of making porn movies with underage girls aged 12-16. 5 December 2009 “Femen” held a rally under the unequivocal name “Lyadskaya lane”, at the entrance to the InterContinental hotel in Kiev. So activists tried to protest against the contest "Miss Ukraine Universe - 2009" and emphasize that the models in beauty contests are a commodity. However, later, in 2011, Sanden refused to finance “Femen” - after the movement began to pay much attention to political actions that were not related to the expectations that the entrepreneur assigned to Ukrainian activists. In December, 2011, Mr. Jed Sunden, stopped funding “Femen,” but by that time the movement had just begun to become known as a socially startling one.
Back in 2010, the “Femen” more and more often began to carry out actions of a political orientation. So, in January, 2010, the “Femen”, was marked with a share at the building of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine. Women, dressed up as prostitutes, held a campaign "SECZit sex", which, according to them, they wanted to show that the candidates for the presidential election resemble prostitutes. Naturally, after Viktor Yanukovych was elected president of the country, “Femen” began actions against his government. 22 March 2010. They opposed the absence of women in the Ukrainian cabinet. 21 May 2011. “Femen” tried to thwart the opening of the “Day of Europe” in the Ukrainian capital: activists in clown suits unfolded a poster demanding to take Ukraine to Europe. The action took place during a speech by the Kiev mayor Alexander Popov. Activists explained their actions by the desire for genuine European integration of Ukraine. Further activization of "Femen" was associated with a general aggravation of the political situation in the world. In 2011, mass demonstrations began in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa; history under the name "Arab Spring". The riots in Arab countries were directed by American intelligence services, and in the early stages of provoking mass riots, social movements such as Femen played an important role. It was during this period that Femen themselves went to the international level. 21 December 2012 movement has arranged a rally near the Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm. Egyptian Aliya Magda al-Mahdi participated in it together with the Ukrainians. The action called “The Naked Revolution” was directed “against all religions that discriminate against women,” but it clearly read anti-Islamic overtones, as evidenced by the participation in the rally of the Egyptian al-Mahdi. The young Egyptian woman came to the embassy completely naked, which expressed the violent indignation of the Egyptian population, including the democratic opposition. Of course, after this action, the road back to Egypt for al-Mahdi was closed, but it gained fame in the West and the opportunity to count on grants from various non-governmental organizations. “Femen” was held and the rally in Istanbul - at the “Hagia Sophia” mosque, however, the Turkish policemen who had detained the latter rescued from the intervention of the believers watching the action. Finally, 1 December 2013, five members of the movement “Femen” publicly urinated on a photograph of President Yanukovych in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Paris. Apparently, this action should have meant the disregard of “Femen” to the president of Ukraine, where the confrontation between supporters of “European integration” and Viktor Yanukovych reached its peak.
"Femen" against Russia and ... France?
Special "relations" have developed at "Femen" with Russia. Naturally, the movement from the very beginning took an emphatically anti-Russian stance. This position was determined, strictly speaking, not by the participants of the movement, but by its backstage puppeteers. In the propaganda of "Femen", Russia has repeatedly been exposed as a "homophobic", "discriminating women", "authoritarian" country. Gradually, Femen switched to provocative actions in the territory of the Russian Federation. So, December 9 2011, the provocateurs from “Femen”, held a rally at the Russian Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, chanting the slogan “God, drive the Tsar!”. So the activists expressed their support for the Russian extra-systemic liberal opposition. Two months later, 13 February, 2012. Half-naked femen activists unfolded the Stop Gas Blackmail and Gasi Gazprom! Posters outside the headquarters of the Russian company Gazprom in Moscow. As it is not difficult to understand, by these actions, “Femen” expressed their attitude towards the complicated relations of Russia and Ukraine in the fuel and energy sphere. Not left without attention "Femen" and the presidential elections in Russia. 4 March 2012, directly on election day, “Femen” activists appeared at a polling station in the building of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Twenty minutes before they appeared here, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila Putin voted. After the head of state and his spouse, escorted by the guards, left the polling station, three girls from the Femen movement ran to the ballot boxes, bared themselves and began chanting insults against Vladimir Putin. At the same time, anti-Putin slogans were also applied to the girls chest and back. A few minutes later, the activists were detained by law enforcement officers and taken to the internal affairs department. Of course, “Femen” expressed support for the Russian women from the pussy group “Pussy Rayot” who were detained for provocation in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 17 August 2012. “Femen” held a rally in support of “Pussy Rayot” in Kiev, where a participant of the movement Inna Shevchenko cut down a chainsaw and knocked down Poklonny cross. The cross was installed here in memory of the victims of Stalinist repression. Moreover, the cross was established not even by the Russian Orthodox Church, but by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. What relation did her cross have to the events around the Russian opposition “punk” and the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior is not clear, but they completed their task “Femen” - with the action in support of “Pussy Rayot”.
Scandal "Femen" managed in France. 12 February 2013, the day after the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI, activists of "Femen" held a rally in the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Pretending to be tourists, eight participants in the movement marched to the nave, where nine new bells were displayed. There, the activists threw off their coats, under which they were topless, and began to knock on bells with sticks, chanting in English the slogan "Daddy is no more!". The inscription “No to homophobia,” “Crisis of faith” and “Bye, Benedict!” Was inscribed on the chest and back of each activist. The trick "Femen" in the Cathedral of Notre Dame made us think about the true intentions of this organization and many European politicians and journalists. While “Femen” laid bare and provoked the police in Ukraine and Russia, the Europeans perceived them condescendingly and even with some sympathy - as fighters against the “totalitarian regime”. But many Frenchmen could not insult the Pope of Rome, even if he left the throne of the Vatican. In the French press, there were numerous publications against the "Femen". So, Bruno Roger-Petit in the article “After the provocation in Notre-Dame for Femen, there is no more place in France” (“Le Plus”, France) stressed that “the example of Pussy Riot is hardly worthy of imitation, of which Femen today is able to be convinced on my own experience. The last provocation of the French "representation" of the radical feminist movement (activists paraded bare breasts inside Notre Dame de Paris, shouting insults at Pope Benedict XVI and all Catholics) allowed to dispel all doubts about the democratic benefactors of the group: it’s clear that Femen are not friends of democracy " (Quoted from: http://inosmi.ru/europe/20130214/205899032.html). After the activists of “Femen” tried to hold a rally against the demonstration of the French National Front, the leader of the latter, Marie Le Pen, described the movement as nothing more than a “hysterical sect”.
Who is behind the "Femen", is still unknown. According to political scientist Vadim Karasev, “the movement is fairly well funded.
It is rather difficult to collect money from donations for shares in Istanbul, Milan, Paris, Moscow. Most likely impossible. FEMEN has good sponsors. And such good sponsors can be either the government, or the oligarchs, or the special services ”(quoted on: http://vz.ru/politics/2012/9/21/599200.html). Very scarce data on the exact number of movement. According to the activists themselves, in the ranks of “Femen” there are 40 activists, topless and 300 activists who are not participating in “nudity”. The informal leader of the organization and its main representative is Anna Gutsol. A native of Khmelnitsky, she 16 October 2015 g. Celebrated her 31-th birthday. It Hutsol, according to world media, was at the forefront of the creation of "Femen" back in 2008. After the movement was created, she took part in many actions. 16 November 2012 was detained at the airport of St. Petersburg, after which she was deported from the Russian Federation and declared persona non grata in the country. Gutsol herself strongly emphasizes that “Femen” is not a political, but an allegedly “women's” movement. Olga Sergeevna Deda, who was already 63 of the year at the time of joining Femen, was the oldest member of the Femen shares. Branches of "Femen" operate in five cities of Ukraine, although almost all actions not only in Ukraine itself, but also abroad, including Russia, Turkey, Sweden, France, are conducted by representatives of the "Kiev branch" of the movement "Femen". Sometimes, in exaggerating the reality, activists go even further and declare thousands of Femen supporters all over Ukraine and even in other states. But if you analyze the actions of the movement “Femen” in the entire history of its existence, then on the video of each of them you can see no more than six or seven participants. Suppose that a few more girls do not directly take part in the actions, but are engaged in the issues of its preparation and provision - but this is still not the three hundred people that the representatives of “Femen” are talking about. Thus, with the help of their exhibitionist actions, “Femen” could get not only All-Ukrainian, but also All-Russian and even worldwide fame, while in fact representing a very small group in size. Effective information support "Femen" became the most important guarantee of the popularity and popularity of this movement. Naturally, the movement "Femen" actively promotes the Western, Ukrainian and Russian liberal press. With all the seeming frivolity and even comicity of the actions of “Femen”, which cause smirks in men, in fact the actions of this movement and, especially, their information promotion in the media is an integral part of the “information war” waged not only against Russia and the pro-Russian forces, but against any traditional values. Using the image of a naked female body, to which the audience responds in any case, “Femen” has achieved such fame that many political parties and movements, numbering thousands of real activists, cannot dream of. Giving any protest to sexual overtones is a very delicate move, almost always guaranteeing the increased interest of consumers of such political propaganda. Of course, the activities of “Femen” would not have been possible without some financial and informational support from external actors - “foreign agents”, as they can be characterized in principle. In their numerous interviews, the representatives of “Femen” make clear the true goals of their movement - promoting some “choice” facing Ukraine (and it should be understood - to Russia too) - “European democracy or Asian dictatorship”.
Mouth, scrotum and fire doors
If the shocking actions of “Femen”, due to the participation of young women in them and the very nature of the actions, can still be perceived with humor, then the actions of the notorious Pavlensky are an absolute negative. In Russian society, the point of view is widespread that Pavlensky is not a completely sane person, hence the nature of his actions. The same point of view is replicated by some media, but the liberal press seeks to present this person as a "fighter against the regime."
Peter Pavlensky is thirty one years old. He is the same age as the founder of "Femen" Hutsol. By education, Pavlensky is really an artist - he studied at the St. Petersburg Art and Industry Academy. A.L. Stieglitz in the class of monumental painting. In 2012, Pavlensky founded the online journal Political Propaganda, which tried to impart a political context to contemporary art. Of course, Pavlensky acted as a “radical oppositionist” - otherwise his popularity among the capital's bohemian youth would be in doubt. The political system existing in Russia was accused of “cultural chauvinism”, which, according to Pavlensky, should be fought. True, Pavlensky understands artful-political struggle as highly dubious actions. Doubtful not only from the point of view of their effectiveness, but also because it is not very clear - they are called upon to influence the government or discredit the opposition itself. Like many such figures and whole groups specializing in socially outrageous actions, Pavlensky was able to use the information hype that arose around the action “Pussy Rayot” in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in time.
23 July 2012, the city of Pavlensky, after stitching up its mouth with a harsh thread, stood in a picket at the Kazan Cathedral for an hour and a half. In the hands of the artist held a poster "Pussy Riot Promotion was a replay of the famous action of Jesus Christ (Matt. 21: 12-13)". This action, according to Pavlensky, was intended to draw public attention to the problems of glasnost and emphasize the need to combat “mass paranoia”. However, police officers did not understand the true meaning of Pavlensky’s deed. An ambulance was called and the orderlies of the psychiatric brigade took Pavlensky to a medical examination. However, the doctor, examining the artist, said that the latter was sane and released Pavlensky. The action with a wired mouth brought Pavlensky wide acclaim - not only the Russian, but also the world media reported on the artist’s deed. For liberals, Pavlensky turned into a real “hero”, although many Russians immediately had doubts about its adequacy. 3 May 2013 was followed by the next action Pavlensky. His supporters brought a naked Pavlensky, wrapped in barbed wire and left at the entrance to the building of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. Pavlensky did not respond to questions and remarks from viewers and police officers. In the end, the police brought a garden shears and released Pavlensky, after which he was brought into the building of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. Later, Pavlensky explained his actions with a protest against the introduction of a number of laws, which he believes are aimed at restricting the rights and freedoms of the population. It is noteworthy that Pavlensky included the “18 +” laws, the law on the promotion of homosexuality, the law on the protection of the feelings of believers and a number of other recently adopted laws. But the All-Russian fame brought Pavlensky the 10 action of November 2013 of the year, during which Pavlensky, being in Red Square, nailed his scrotum with a nail to the stone pavement. The police were called, which, however, did not understand from the first time how to remove the shareholder from the square. Therefore, Pavlensky was covered with a sheet, but only then it was disconnected from the pavement and taken away.
By the way, Pavlensky was far from the first to try to express oppositional sentiments in the form of "artistic" performances. There was also Anton Glotov, an artist who gained some fame during the protests of the Russian opposition in 2011-2012. Then Anton Glotov came to one of the opposition demonstrations on Bolotnaya Square with a makeshift tower tank on the head. Then Glotov appeared at a rally in a cage and holding the sign "Prison outside." According to the artist, the papier-mâché tank symbolized the “paper soldier” without hope of success, but also the state. The second action, which was more trivial, implied that freedom is only within everyone, and around it is a “prison”, primarily related to the restriction of political freedoms. However, Glotov did not hold brighter and more memorable actions, therefore, in a galaxy of artists promoted by the liberal media, he was replaced by Peter Pavlensky. One of the artist’s tricks seemed crazier than the other, and, unlike Glotov’s and even Femen, Pavlensky clearly balanced not only on the verge of intelligence and reason, but also on the verge of criminal law. Each of his last actions, in a good way, could end for Peter Pavlensky with a prison term or compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Therefore, it is doubly surprising that Pavlensky for a long time managed to avoid real problems with Russian law enforcement agencies.
The initial reaction of law enforcement agencies to the act of Pavlensky in front of the Kremlin was amazingly soft. An administrative violation case was initiated against Pavlensky - petty hooliganism, but the court refused to consider it due to the “incorrect report”, after which the police were forced to release Pavlensky outside the Tverskoy court building. However, on November 15 of 2013, the media reported on the initiation of a criminal case against Peter Pavlensky under Art. 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Hooliganism", in accordance with which the artist was threatened with imprisonment for up to five years. However, the media did not report any further consequences upon the establishment of the case. At least, Pavlensky remained free and held a few more shares. In particular, October 213 19, Peter Pavlensky, sitting naked on the fence of the Institute of Psychiatry. Serbian in Moscow, cut off the lobe of his right ear with a knife. The police, pulling Pavlensky from the fence, sent him to the hospital. But this time the doctors recognized Pavlensky as sane and not subject to psychiatric hospitalization. It seemed that Peter Pavlensky literally longed to be arrested and placed in a detention center or in a psychiatric hospital, but, despite all the actions listed above, this did not happen. Obviously, in the case of Pavlensky, the authorities chose the most appropriate tactic - not to react to provocative actions. Society, in turn, took Pavlensky simply as a sick person who did not know how to attract attention.
Since all previous actions did not end with arrest, Pavlensky went even further. 9 November 2015 in 01 hour 15 minutes into the night Peter Pavlensky came to Lubyanka Square and approached the first entrance of the building where the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is located. After that, Pavlensky set fire to the entrance door to the building, after which he was detained for thirty seconds. On the same day, a criminal case was opened against Peter Pavlensky in accordance with Art. Part 2. 214 of the Criminal Code "Vandalism". Pavlensky himself said that he was requesting the retraining of the criminal case for a “terrorist” article. By decision of the Tagansky Court of Moscow, Peter Pavlensky was previously arrested for a month.
Who benefits from the “madness” of shoppers?
Apparently, after the participants of “Pussy Rayot” were released, Pavlensky was destined to become a new “political prisoner hero” of Russian liberals. Already, the audience of the liberal media, commenting news about the last action of Pavlensky and his arrest by the Tagansky court, characterizes Peter Pavlensky as an “ideological fighter and creative person” whose actions have a clear political focus. Like the story of “Pussy Rayot”, as well as the activity of “Femen”, Pavlensky’s antics are strongly promoted by the mass media. Apparently, Pavlensky carried out an immediate order for the emergence of a new "prisoner of art" number one, instead of the liberated Tolokonnikova. But the authorities, having “gone too far” with “Pussy Rayot”, did not want to succumb to Pavlensky's provocations for a long time, believing that the best remedy against his tricks was not to react to them, or to react purely formally. It was this lack of reaction that caused Pavlensky to carry out the latest antics - the burning of the door on Lubyanka.
According to Pavlensky, or those who are behind him and pushing him to commit these actions, after such an action, the state will definitely not fail to respond - after all, in the eyes of the whole world a criminal offense has been committed against the special services of the world power. The actions that Pavlensky held in Moscow will not be forgotten soon, but for now one of them hastily molded a kind of opposition brand. It is not excluded that if Pavlensky is given a real term or is placed in a hospital after he is released, he will be a non-poor person by the standards of an average Russian. However, one can only guess about the future fate of Pavlensky - it is unknown what other function he has to perform. Symbolic actions have always played a large role in the political life of society. Political strategist Oleg Vedutov described the action carried out by Pavlensky: “There are several moments in the Pavlensky action. Fire is a very clear symbol of the beginning of an uprising. Pavlensky is not an idiot - a suicide. He even nailed the eggs not as everyone thought, but at first he made a special piercing tunnel in the scrotum and put a nail through it, which he drove into the pavement. And there will be no serious and long consequences. But it will thunder for the whole world ”(quoted on: http://rusves.su/news/1447146152).
Regardless of whether the same or different people are behind the actions of “Pussy Rayot”, “Femen” and Peter Pavlensky, the latter are united by the tactics that are chosen correctly for action in the conditions of the modern information society. Particularly interesting in this context is the act of Pavlensky, whose actions most definitely have a symbolic meaning and in fact signify a call to rebellion (pavement, fire). It is clear that the actions of Pavlensky after proper informational coverage will be in demand in the West - as another evidence of the “authoritarianism” of the Russian political system and the need to fight against it with such “artistic and radical” methods.
Information