Biography of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. About Nadezhda Tolokonnikova Tolokonnikova's Twitter

There are different opinions about the personality of Nadya Tolokonnikova. Some consider her to be a political figure of a new trend, calling her a patriot of our country. Another group of people believes that this woman has mental problems and is characterized by hooligan behavior. Some facts from the life of this person will be highlighted in this article.

Childhood and adolescence

Nadya Tolokonnikova (biography testifies to this) was born on November 7, 1989 in the city of Norilsk. A year after her birth, Nadya’s family moved to Krasnoyarsk, but after some time they returned to their previous place of residence.

At an early age, she was raised by her grandmother, but then her mother and father began to actively participate in Nadya’s life. When the girl was five years old, her parents divorced.

From a young age, Nadya was characterized by expression and a unique attitude to what was happening around her. The main advantage of our heroine’s character, according to her friends, could be called her indifference to the fate of people.

The future political activist studied well during her school years. She successfully graduated from music school in piano.

Family of Nadya Tolokonnikova

After completing her studies at school, Nadya entered the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University. After some time, fate brought her together with political activist Pyotr Verzilov. The young people had similar views on life, and therefore mutual feelings quickly flared up between them.

The lovers hitchhiked on a trip to Spain and Portugal, and when they returned home, they decided to get married. Nadya Tolokonnikova's daughter Gera was born in 2008. The young mother was only eighteen years old.

Political activity

At the end of 2000, the heroine of the article “plunged headlong into politics.” While pregnant, Tolokonnikova, a member of the Voina art group, participated in a sexual orgy, which was organized at the Biological Museum. K.A. Timiryazev.

This scandalous event, timed to coincide with the presidential elections in our country, according to its organizers, was a parody of the events unfolding in our country.

After this prank, they wanted to expel Nadya Tolokonnikova from the university, but as a result she remained a student at Moscow State University. However, the girl did not stop being a political activist and, as a result, due to lack of time, she did not graduate from higher education.

During one of the protests, the heroine of the article, together with her like-minded people, broke into the Tagansky court building and began scattering cockroaches. She tried to convey the meaning of such antics to society on social networks. Nadya has become a widely read blogger who is popular on the Internet.

Jail

In 2011, the girl joined the art group Pussy Riot. This group became notorious after holding a kind of punk prayer service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. During this performance, Nadya Tolokonnikova sang an excerpt from a song of her own composition, discrediting the current government.

The hooligan action was interrupted by security forces. Tolokonnikova and her two friends were arrested. For hooliganism in the temple, motivated by religious hatred, Nadya Tolokonnikova (the photo below is proof of this) was sentenced on August 17, 2012 to two years. She went to serve her sentence in a general regime colony located on the territory of Mordovia.

While in prison, Nadya Tolokonnikova went on a hunger strike and, through her husband, managed to convey a message to Interfax.

In it, the prisoner spoke about the conditions in which female representatives are serving time in a correctional colony. She made public the fact that convicts are forced to endure various humiliations. Women were tortured by cold, fed second-rate food, and deprived of necessary hygienic procedures. The audit showed that Tolokonnikova’s information was reliable.

The defender of the rights of prisoners was subsequently transferred to another colony located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Long-term refusal to eat had a negative impact on her health, so Nadezhda was in the prison hospital until the end of her sentence.

Nadya Tolokonnikova's husband took care of his daughter while his wife was in prison. He continued to be a political activist: he called for the release of his wife and criticized Russian laws.

Scandalous popularity

The trial of Russy Riot participants aroused increased interest among foreign and domestic media. A large number of show business stars were loyal to Nadya’s behavior. They argued that her act had political rather than religious overtones.

In 2012, one foreign magazine included Nadezhda and her friends, convicted of holding a punk prayer service in a Moscow church, among the world's 100 leading intellectuals. During the same time period, a French newspaper named the heroine of the article “Woman of the Year.”

In 2013, the political activist was ranked among the most influential women.

Tolokonnikova also appeared several times on the list of the sexiest female representatives.

Life after prison

On December 23, 2013, Nadya Tolokonnikova was granted amnesty. Once released, the heroine of the article together with created the organization “Zone of Law”, designed to protect the rights of prisoners in Russia. Friends took part in protests in support of those taken into custody in the so-called “Bolotnaya case.”

After a fairly short time, Tolokonnikova and Alekhina began to conflict. Having opposite characters, strong girls could not come to a consensus on many issues.

According to verified information, Nadya Tolokonnikova, together with her husband, was active in political activities in the West. She even played herself in one of the episodes of the American series House of Cards. According to the story, she criticized the Russian President when he was in the White House.

And at the present time, this extraordinary woman continues to remain a kind of fighter for justice, who has beliefs and views on life that are not understandable to everyone. According to Tolokonnikova herself, from childhood she experienced a lack of thrills and sought them in her fantasies.

She gained worldwide fame in connection with the criminal prosecution for the action “Punk prayer “Virgin Mother of God, drive Putin away!””, held on February 21, 2012 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. For participation in this action, she was arrested on March 3 and on August 17, 2012, was sentenced by the Khamovnichesky Court to imprisonment for a term of 2 years under the article “Hooliganism.” She was released on December 23, 2013, two months earlier under an amnesty. While in prison, she became involved in protecting the rights of prisoners; Having been released, Tolokonnikova, together with M. Alyokhina, announced the creation of an organization to protect the rights of Russian prisoners “Zone of Law”.

Biography

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was born on November 7, 1989 in Norilsk. She graduated from a secondary school with a gold medal and a music school in piano. In high school, she took part in cultural events organized in the city by the publishing house “New Literary Review” by Irina Prokhorova.

Tolokonnikova is a former member of the Voina art group, a left-wing radical actionist movement, after disagreements within which in 2009 she became a member of the “Moscow Voina faction” (like her husband Pyotr Verzilov). She took part in many “War” events, including a performance at the State Biological Museum. K. A. Timiryazeva (2008) and “Cockroach Court” (2010).

Since March 2011, she has been a member of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot.

Personal life

Protest and human rights activities

In the summer of 2010, Tolokonnikova took part in actions to protect the Khimki forest

On May 28, 2011, on the day when Border Guard Day is celebrated in the Russian Federation, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova participated in a gay pride unsanctioned by the Moscow City Hall in defense of the civil rights of representatives of the LGBT community near the Alexander Garden and on Tverskaya Square near the Moscow City Hall.

Tolokonnikova participated in the civil forum “Antiseliger” in the Khimki forest from June 17 to June 20, 2011.

On December 10, 2011, Tolokonnikova spoke from the stage of a rally on Bolotnaya Square as a representative of the feminist and LGBT community. The activist called "everyone to become a political leader and think for themselves" .

As her moral guide, Nadezhda named the writer and dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, whose biography she became acquainted with in the colony. In an interview with The New York Times, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina said that in the future they intend to run for political positions in Russia.

In February 2016, the Pussy Riot “Chaika” video was released, where Tolokonnikova appeared in the guise of a prosecutor. On March 14, 2016, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova presented her book “Guide to Revolution” at the international literary festival lit.Cologne in Cologne.

On January 30, 2019, she expressed solidarity with the thieves of Kuindzhi’s painting from the Tretyakov Gallery, admitting that in the past she herself had committed a similar crime, stealing a certain canvas from the Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val. According to Tolokonnikova, the action was carried out jointly with members of the Voina art group.

Performance “Virgin Mother of God, drive Putin away!”

The prosecution is embarrassed to cite excerpts from the lyrics of Pussy Riot songs, since they are the living proof of the absence of a motive. I really like it, I will give this excerpt, I think it is very important. Interview from the Russian Reporter, given by us after the concert in the Cathedral of Christ: “We respect religion, the Orthodox in particular. That is why we are outraged that the great, bright Christian philosophy is being used so dirty. We are sickened by the fact that the most beautiful thing is now being put in cancer.” We are still reeling from this. And it really hurts us to look at all this.

The absence of any manifestations of hatred and enmity on our part is demonstrated by ALL defense witnesses interrogated, even in testimonies regarding our personalities. In addition, in addition to all other characteristics, I ask you to take into account the results of the psychological and psychiatric examination conducted on me at the request of the investigation in the pre-trial detention center. The experts showed the following: the values ​​that I adhere to in life are “justice, mutual respect, humanity, equality and freedom.” The expert spoke. It was a man who doesn't know me. And, probably, the investigator would really like the expert to write something different. But, apparently, there are still more people who love and appreciate the truth. And the Bible is right.

From Tolokonnikova's final speech in court

On September 23, 2013, Tolokonnikova went on a hunger strike and, through her husband, sent an open letter to Interfax, in which she spoke about the unbearable working and living conditions in correctional colony No. 14 in the village of Partsa (Mordovia), about threats from the deputy head of the colony, Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Kupriyanov, that her team works 16-17 hours a day, almost seven days a week, women are beaten, humiliated morally and physically, subjected to cold torture, fed poor quality food, and deprived of basic hygiene needs. Subsequent official checks confirmed this information. In 2018, the Federal Penitentiary Service admitted the use of slave labor of female prisoners in the Mordovian colony where Tolokonnikova was serving her sentence (in particular, that the convicts worked from seven in the morning until one in the morning to carry out “leftist” orders), and handed over materials for initiation criminal case to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was released on December 23, 2013 under an amnesty adopted by the State Duma for the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution, as convicted under the article “Hooliganism”. At the same time, Maria Alyokhina was released.

In the future, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina intend to protect the rights of Russian prisoners.

“I must provide this help. I will make every effort to help prisoners. Now I am connected to the criminal correctional system by blood ties, and I will not back down. I will try to make it a little better."

Confession

In culture

Notes

1. Internet Movie Database - 1990.
2. Pussy Riot. Feminist punk band (undefined) . Lentapedia. Lenta.ru. Retrieved August 23, 2012. Archived October 29, 2012.
3. Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova met in Krasnoyarsk (undefined) . BBC (24 December 2013). - “Before getting to the hospital, Tolokonnikova served time in a Mordovian colony. However, at the end of September she went on a hunger strike, declaring the intolerable conditions of detention for female prisoners.”
4. Alina Garbuznyak. “In many colonies it’s even worse.” Human rights activists about Tolokonnikova’s letter. Human rights activists said what prevents other prisoners in Russian prisons from complaining about violations of their rights in the same way as convicted Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova did (undefined) . aif.ru (September 24, 2013).
5. The Economist: Tolokonnikova’s letter “stirred up the swamp” (undefined) (unavailable link). inotv.rt.com (October 20, 2013). “Pussy Riot may not have provoked a discussion in Russia about feminism and radical art, but an open letter from one of the team members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, sparked a large-scale investigation into human rights violations in Russian prisons.” Retrieved February 26, 2014. Archived January 16, 2014.
6. Natalya Gulevskaya. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is a real threat to the regime (undefined) . echo.msk (November 14, 2013). - “Any unfree, anti-constitutional regime is terrified of the appearance of even a small group of human rights activists, for whom there is no antidote in the state structures.”
7. Anna Gorbunova. Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova brought gifts and a labor code to the women's colony (undefined) . kp.ru (January 14, 2014).
8. Alexander Ineshin. Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova from Pussy Riot came to Nizhny to fight for the rights of prisoners (undefined) . kp.ru (January 14, 2014).
9. inDud. Tolokonnikova - bisexuality, FACE, prison (undefined) (October 10, 2018). Retrieved October 11, 2018.
10. Vera Kichanova. Pussy Riot. True story. - Slon.ru, FastBook Project, 2012.
11. Pussy Riot case (undefined) . “Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners” (March 22, 2012).
12. Pussy Riot - "green card" to Canada
13. Tolokonnikova's lawyers ask to defer the punishment (Russian). LifeNews (November 7, 2012). Retrieved October 20, 2015. Archived October 20, 2015.
14. Gera Verzilova (Russian). Grani.Ru (March 4, 2013). Retrieved October 20, 2015. Archived October 20, 2015.
15. Tolokonnikova spoke about sex with girls and a public orgy in the museum (undefined) . Lenta.ru (October 10, 2018).
16. With Hope for Freedom (undefined) . "Grani.ru" (March 16, 2012). - Access to the requested resource is limited by a court decision or on other grounds established by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
17. Gay pride parade in Moscow dispersed - 34 detained. MHG: “Only the authorities have all the rights” (undefined) . NEWSru.com (May 28, 2011).
18. wisegizmo. Gay Pride: Report from activists of the Voina group. Activist of the gender wing of Voina Nadya Tolokno - KVIR correspondent Valera Pecheikin. Report on the gay pride that took place on May 28, 2011 (undefined) (May 29, 2011) .
19. Oleg Kozyrev. Results of "Antiseliger" (undefined) . Siberian Environmental Agency (June 23, 2011).
20. Pavel Kanygin, Ekaterina Fomina and others. Rally on Bolotnaya Square. Online broadcast of events (undefined) . "Novaya Gazeta" (December 10, 2011).
21. Elizaveta Antonova. Released Pussy Riot members held a press conference in Moscow (undefined) . "Newspaper. Ru" (December 27, 2013).
22. Alexandra Pavlova. Members of the punk band Pussy Riot Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina made a number of loud statements during a visit to the United States dedicated to human rights activities (undefined) . “Sobesednik.ru” (February 6, 2014). “Pussy Riot members came to the USA to assess the state of American prisons and meet with local human rights activists. On Tuesday, February 4, the girls held a large press conference for the American media.”
23. Tolokonnikova was detained while sewing a flag on Bolotnaya Square - Interfax
24. “Pussy Riot released the video “The Seagull” dedicated to Russian justice”, BBC, 02/04/2016
25. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova presented the “Guide to Revolution” in Cologne (undefined) . dw.com (March 14, 2016).
26. Tolokonnikova admitted stealing a painting from the Tretyakov Gallery (undefined) . Gazeta.Ru. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
27. Pussy Riot members officially accused of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred (undefined) . "Rosbalt" (June 4, 2012).
28. The court found Pussy Riot members guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and enmity (undefined) . "ITAR-TASS" (August 17, 2012). Retrieved August 23, 2012. Archived October 29, 2012.
29. Alexander Voronov. Pussy Riot have said the penultimate word (undefined) . “Kommersant-Online” (August 7, 2012). Retrieved August 23, 2012. Archived October 29, 2012.
30. “You will now always be punished.” Lenta.ru publishes a letter from Nadezhda Tolokonnikova from a Mordovian correctional colony (undefined) . "Lenta.ru" (September 23, 2013).
31. Materials (undefined) . Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights (2013-2014).
32. In IK-14, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Mordovia revealed numerous violations. IA REGNUM (undefined) . Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights (October 3, 2014). - “During the inspection, numerous violations of labor protection rules in the administrative and production premises of the institution, fire safety requirements, sanitary, hygienic and anti-epidemic requirements were identified that ensure the protection of the health of convicts.”

Childhood and youth

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova studied very well (she graduated from school with a gold medal), studied diligently at music school, and often took part in cultural and literary events. According to Nadya, she had and still has “excellent student syndrome,” which is the basis of her success. With all this, Nadezhda has always been a rebel. Since childhood, she liked to find herself in extreme situations or spend long hours thinking about the troubles that could happen to her.

To a large extent, Tolokonnikova’s future was influenced by the tastes of her father. When the girl was 12 years old, he gave her Vladimir Sorokin’s novel “Norma” to read, which has bright social-satirical and dystopian features, and instead of girls’ magazines he suggested the socio-political publication “Kommersant-Vlast”. Also among the people who made Nadezhda look at the world differently are the artist Dmitry Prigov and the poet Lev Rubinstein.

"War"

The group members tried to draw attention to street art - a new form of expression of political thought and the opposite of the gallery form. As part of one of the first performances, “Mordovia Hour,” activists threw stray cats over the counters of a McDonald’s restaurant, wanting to make “a gift to the low-paid fast food workforce.” Newspapers called the action “the most hooligan performance.”

The greatest resonance was caused by the action in the hall of the State Biological Museum. K. A. Timiryazev, where several couples had sex. The performance took place in 2008 on the eve of the Russian presidential elections, in which the main candidate was Dmitry Medvedev. The action was attended by five couples (including pregnant Nadezhda and her husband) and two activists holding a poster with the slogan. A criminal case was brought against one of the latter for distributing pornography.

When the university learned about the action, Nadezhda was going to be expelled, but in the end the dean changed his decision. In addition, Tolokonnikova’s activities caused a strong quarrel with her mother, which lasted almost 10 years (however, now she calls her her best friend).

Subsequently, the Voina group carried out dozens more actions with a specific message - activists dressed up in the robes of Orthodox priests, threw huge cockroaches into the courthouse, stormed the White House and painted a giant phallus on the drawbridge of the Liteiny Bridge, located opposite the FSB building in St. Petersburg .

But real glory was ahead. In 2011, Tolokonnikova and several of her friends - artists, journalists and actresses - founded the punk rock group Pussy Riot. Members of the group began performing in public places with performances promoting the ideas of feminism, the fight against law enforcement agencies, anti-Putinism and the protection of the LGBT community. The activists appeared before the audience in bright clothes and with a knitted balaclava on their heads.

The Pussy Riot case

In court (as well as in the future), Tolokonnikova did not admit her guilt. The girl stated that the action in the temple was pro-religious, not anti-religious, and that the activists respect religion and the church. The court sentenced Nadezhda and Alyokhina to 2 years in prison in a general regime colony; Samutsevich got off with 2 years of probation (the girls don’t communicate now).

The arrest of the girls was an unprecedented event that resonated throughout the world. Singer Madonna, British musician Peter Gabriel, members of the rock band Red HotChili Peppers, actor Stephen Fry and many others took Nadezhda’s side. Nadezhda herself was included in the lists of the most desirable women in Russia according to a number of reputable publications, and French newspapers called Tolokonnikova “woman of the year.”

Meanwhile, Nadezhda had a hard time in prison. In September 2013, the girl went on a hunger strike to protest against unsatisfactory living and working conditions in the correctional colony in Mordovia, where she was serving her sentence. Subsequent checks confirmed this information: women really work almost seven days a week, eat disgustingly and are regularly subjected to moral and physical humiliation. Nadezhda was briefly transferred to another colony, but was soon returned, after which the activist went on a hunger strike for the second time. As a result, Nadezhda’s health deteriorated, and she spent the rest of her time in the hospital.

On December 23, 2013, two months before the end of her original sentence, Nadezhda was released under an amnesty. At the same time, Maria Alyokhina was released.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova: first minutes of freedom

Life after prison

Despite this, the world media remained interested in her person. So in the winter of 2014, Nadezhda appeared on the cover of the British newspaper “The Times”, and soon appeared together with Verzilov and Alyokhina in one of the episodes of the 3rd season of the American series “House of Cards”. According to the plot of the series, activists attended an official dinner in Washington, where they spoke harshly about the Russian president.

The girl says that she was also offered to star in the new part of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” which will be released in November 2018, but she refused the offer (the role went to Claire Foy).

In September 2014, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina founded an online publication about courts, arrests and Russia, “Mediazona,” and two years later, Nadezhda published an autobiographical book, “How to Start a Revolution: Notes from a Colony.”

Personal life of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

In 2016, Nadezhda and Peter separated, but continue to work together and be close friends. “It’s impossible to imagine a world without Verzilov,” Tolokonnikova confesses. Daughter Hera lives with Nadezhda and her grandmother.

In one of the interviews, Nadezhda admitted that she had a short lesbian relationship in the zone - one of the girls was assigned to seduce the activist in order to make her more obedient and force her to remain silent. And although Tolokonnikova really fell in love, the leaders’ plan did not work: the activist told the whole truth about the prison to journalists, after which her lover was sent to a punishment cell.

Now Nadezhda’s heart is not free: she is dating a musician whose name she chose to hide.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova now

Special project “Prison”: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

Activity: political activist, musician

Place of Birth: Norilsk

Weight: 72 kg

Height: 175 cm

Zodiac sign: Scorpion

Biography of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is a woman who, probably, is simply impossible to relate to unambiguously. Some call her an ardent patriot of Russia and one of the most prominent political figures of the new wave. Such a judgment has a right to life. As, indeed, is the opinion of the opposite group of people who call her a mentally unstable person and the most common hooligan. One way or another, in our article today we will try to refrain from making any judgments and conclusions about the personality of this political activist and will try to tell with restraint and impartiality about her life and fate. Where did the political career of this extraordinary girl begin? What actions and actions made the whole of Europe talk about her. More about all this in our biographical article.

Early years, childhood and family of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

The future political activist was born in distant and snowy Norilsk. Literally a year after the birth of their daughter, her parents moved to, but a few years later they returned to Norilsk again. In her early childhood, the girl’s upbringing was mainly done by her grandmother, but later the parents also began to take an active part in their daughter’s life.

The action at the zoological museum, in which Nadezhda Tolokonnikova took part, caused a stir

From her earliest years, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was distinguished by her expressive character and unique view of the events around her. Among the main advantages of our today's heroine, all her acquaintances consider the rare - for the modern world - ability not to be indifferent to the fate of other people and only the state as a whole. Perhaps it was precisely these qualities that predetermined the entire future fate of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. After graduating from a general education school, the future political activist moved to Moscow, where she soon entered the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University. Some time later, our today's heroine met a young artist and political activist Pyotr Verzilov. Their political and social views coincided in many ways, and therefore the two young people quickly found a common language. Together they hitchhiked through Spain and Portugal, and subsequently returned to Russia and became husband and wife. In 2008, Nadezhda gave birth to her husband’s daughter, Gera. During this period, the girl was seventeen years old.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova - in Pussy Riot and in politics, recognition

At the end of the 2000s, our today’s heroine began to take an active part in various events organized by the art group “War”. Being five months pregnant, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova took part in a scandalous sexual orgy that took place at the Biological Museum. K.A. Timiryazeva-. This action was timed to coincide with the presidential elections in Russia and, according to the organizers of this action, was supposed to become a kind of sarcastic parody of what was happening in the country. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova - Prisoners of conscience: photo selection After this action, they were going to expel the girl from Moscow State University, however, later the university leadership changed their decision and still left Tolokonnikova among the students. Subsequently, our today's heroine continued to participate in various political actions that took place under the auspices of the Voina art group, as well as other public and political organizations. Thus, one of the most famous protest actions has become the public image of a phallic symbol on the Liteiny Bridge, and also the so-called “ta-ra-caniy” court”, during which activists of the socio-political organization rushed into the building of the Tagansky court and began to scatter ta-ra-kans throughout the hall. The girl herself explained the meaning of such campaigns on her pages on social networks. Thus, soon Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (or, as she often called herself, Nadya Tolokno) became one of the most popular and read bloggers in the Russian segment of the Internet. In addition, the political actions of our today's heroine have been repeatedly awarded with various awards both in Russia and in Europe. In mid-2011, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova became one of the members of the art group Pussy Riot. In fact, the only significant action of this group was the so-called punk prayer service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. During this performance, a group of girls performed a fragment of their own composition “Virgin Mary, drive away” in the church. Exclusive footage of Tolokonnikova in prison This action was interrupted by representatives of Russian security forces. As a result, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and two other participants in the Pussy Riot project were detained and brought to trial. The action carried out in the Moscow temple was regarded as hooliganism, committed on the basis of religious hatred. Nadezhda was sentenced to two years in prison and was sent to a general regime colony. In addition, the court resolution contained allegations that the members of the art group suffered from mixed personality disorder. One of the confirmations of this was the fact that Nadezhda’s young daughter Gera repeatedly received injuries due to the actions of her mother, and once even received a linear fracture of the parietal part of the skull .

Political resonance and other facts about Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

The trial of the members of the Pussy Riot group was actively covered by representatives of the European and Russian media. Many famous show business stars came out in defense of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, insisting, like the detainee herself, that this action was not religious, but political in nature. In particular, such stars as Stephen Fry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many other Russian and Western celebrities spoke in support of Nadya Tolokno.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova's husband Pyotr Verzilov with their common daughter

In addition, various political and human rights organizations adopted resolutions in support of the participants in the punk prayer service. Thus, the authoritative company Amnesty International recognized Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and other members of the art group as prisoners of conscience.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova - now

In 2012, the French publication Le Figaro named the girl “Woman of the Year.” A year later, the Russian radio station “Echo of Moscow” included Tolokonnikova in its list of the hundred most influential women in Russia. The fact that Nadezhda was repeatedly included in the number of the most desirable and sexiest women in Russia (according to Maxim magazine) and only in the world can be called a kind of support from the famous member of the Pussy Riot group. - (according to the AskMen.com portal).

. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was arrested on March 2, 2012 for participating in the infamous “punk prayer service.” Former member of the Voina art group, which works in the field of conceptual protest street art.

Biography of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova / Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova born on November 7, 1989 in Norilsk. A year after the birth of their daughter, the family moved to Krasnoyarsk, and a few years later they returned back to Norilsk. Up to four years of education Nadezhda Tolokonnikova Father and grandmother were engaged.

After graduating from school, the girl went to Moscow and became a student at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University. In dorm Nadezhda Tolokonnikova met the artist Peter Verzilov, whom she later married. In 2008, 18-year-old Nadezhda gave birth to a daughter, Gera.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova about her daughter: “The name Hera was born spontaneously. Nobody came up with it. Mythology was in the air. No one can now point to the person who suggested this name. At first I didn’t dare to accept it. During the discussions, different names were proposed. So, for example, Petya’s mother really wanted to name her Marusya. Well, what is Marusya like? Are you kidding me? How much did she hitchhike when I was in my third month! I traveled alone through Spain and Portugal. I traveled all over the peninsula. Of course, I wouldn’t dare to travel around Russia like that.”

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova / Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in the art group Voina

Long before creation Pussy Riot Nadezhda Tolokonnikova managed to become famous as a participant in a number of scandalous events. On February 29, 2008, she took part in the action of the art group “War”, which was a group orgy at the Biological Museum. K.A. Timiryazev. According to the organizers, this action was timed to coincide with the presidential elections. Four couples took part in the action, and two weeks later they were detained on the territory of Moscow State University Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and former student of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University Vladimir Shilov. The girl was going to be expelled from the university, but later the dean changed his decision.

At this time, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was pregnant. Four days after the action, she gave birth to a daughter, Hera.

Later Nadezhda Tolokonnikova took part in other projects of the Voina art group, including the “cockroach court” (throwing cockroaches in the Tagansky court building in 2010) and drawing a phallus on the Liteiny Bridge in St. Petersburg. The last action became a laureate of the Innovation Award.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova: “I like to get into extreme situations since childhood. I remember that I always lacked something unusual in life. So, for example, while riding a Ferris wheel, reaching the very top, I began to think about how I would save myself if the cradle in which I was sitting began to fall. So I collected my crumbs of adrenaline. Sitting on the second floor of a house in the country, I imagined that the house would catch fire and how I would jump from the roof, and wondered if I would break my legs or if I would fall on a tree and whether it would pierce me through. I have never lived in peace. Europe is boring because there is nothing to do there. And nothing can be done there. In Russia everything is different. Everything is unclear here. Everything is unclear. The boundaries of legality are blurred.”

Pussy Riot and the arrest of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova / Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

In August 2011 Nadezhda Tolokonnikova became a member of a punk rock band Pussy Riot. On March 3, 2012, she and Maria Alyokhina were arrested on charges of hooliganism in connection with participation in the so-called punk prayer. During this action, participants Pussy Riot They ran to the pulpit and sole of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where they tried to sing their new song “Virgin Mother of God, drive Putin away.” The preliminary investigation was completed in June 2012. As a result Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and two other members of Pussy Riot were charged with hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.

In defense Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina And Ekaterina Samutsevich many Russian and foreign actors and musicians performed, including Peter Gabriel, Madonna, group Red Hot Chili Peppers, English actor Stephen Fry, director Terry Gilliam and many others.

Verdict to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova / Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

August 17, 2012 Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina And Ekaterina Samutsevich were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. The girls were sentenced to two years in prison to serve their sentences in a general regime correctional colony. According to the judges, the defendants suffer from a mixed personality disorder, but were fully aware of their actions and their consequences, and therefore were declared sane and subject to criminal prosecution. The court considered the actions Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and other participants Pussy Riot a crime committed based on religious hatred.

According to the prosecution, the girls “intended to give their actions publicity and public resonance, they wanted to offend not only the ministers of the temple, but also the general public, they inflicted a deep insult and offense on the Orthodox believers.”

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said in her last word at the trial: “Listen to us - us, and not Arkady Mamontov, do not distort or misinterpret everything we have said, and allow us to enter into dialogue, contact with the country, which is also ours, and not only Putin and the Patriarch.”

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and other convicts stated that they do not intend to ask the president for a pardon.

Even during the trial, protection of the members of the punk band Pussy Riot took care of the issues of guardianship of the defendants’ young children in order to avoid their transfer to foster families if their mothers were sentenced. In the spring of 2012, when there was a risk of arrest Petra Verzilova, husband Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, documents were prepared. In the event of a possible threat, a lawyer becomes the guardian of four-year-old Gera, daughter of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Pyotr Verzilov Mark Feigin.

As an infant, Hera was seriously injured due to her mother's carelessness. After a quarrel with her family, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova went to live with friends, where there were no suitable conditions for the child. At the age of two months, the girl fell from the computer table, where she was swaddled and often left unattended. Gera was diagnosed with a linear fracture of the parietal part of the skull, hematoma, brain contusion.

In 2013, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was recognized by Echo Moscow radio as one of the “100 most influential women in Russia.” MAXIM magazine included Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in the list of the 100 sexiest women in Russia in 2012.

Also the French newspaper " Le Figaro» recognized Nadezhda Tolokonnikova“woman of the year”, since, according to the publication, the girl was able to attract maximum attention of the world community to the problem of freedom of speech in Russia, Nadezhda overtook Michelle Obama and Meryl Streep.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova served a sentence under the article “Hooliganism” (Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) in the Mordovian women's colony IK-14. On September 23, 2013, the art activist went on a hunger strike. The reason for such a radical measure was threats (lethal reprisals) from the administration of the colony, which by this method tried to suppress Nadezhda’s indignation about m massive violation of the rights of convicted women in IK-14. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova passed it on through my husband Petra Verzilova an open letter in which she detailed all the violations and described the behavior of those in power.

The crew in the sewing shop works 16–17 hours a day. From 7.30 to 0.30. Sleep is at best four hours a day. The day off happens once every month and a half. Almost all Sundays are working days. A system of informal punishments is widely used. The convict becomes obedient material in the hands of the administration, which views us exclusively as free labor. In June 2013, the salary was 29 rubles. The team sews 150 police suits a day. Where does the money received for them go? - Nadezhda Tolokonnikova asks in a letter.

Sanitary conditions, according to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, leave much to be desired: laundry is done once a week, clogged drains spewing excrement, one shower for 800 people, etc. If the convict’s complaint manages to reach higher authorities, then the colony administration punishes not only the author of the complaint, but also the entire team, for example, they turn off the water for a week. Tolokonnikova’s attempts to eliminate the violations were stopped by the bosses in radical ways - other convicts were given direct orders from above to humiliate Nadezhda physically and mentally. As the art activist herself clarifies: “And if they find out that this happened because of you,” continued Lieutenant Colonel Kupriyanov, “then you will definitely never feel bad again, because bad things don’t happen in the next world.” Any bodily harm in the colony is inflicted only with the approval of the administration.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, in her statement to the Investigative Committee, asks to initiate a criminal case under the article “threat of murder” against the deputy head of IK-14, Yuri Kupriyanov. She also asks to be provided with protective measures, since she receives threats from a prison officer and from other prisoners,” explains lawyer Irina Khrunova.

Also Nadezhda Tolokonnikova ask to transfer her from the sewing workshop to the art workshop. Toloknnikova sent a letter to the Investigative Committee, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Commissioner for Human Rights Vladimir Lukin, as well as in some media. Lieutenant colonel Kupriyanov filed a counterclaim against the convicted person - about inducement to commit an official offense - the creation of preferential conditions for Tolokonnikova. On September 25, 2013, the commission of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation began work in correctional colony No. 14. It should be noted that another convicted member of the group “ Pussy Riot» Maria AlyokhinaI've been hungry for over a week because of the pressure on her in the colony. The release of the two art activists is scheduled for March 2014.

Personal life of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova / Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

• Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is in a civil marriage with Pyotr Verzilov, activist of the art group “War”. The couple gave birth to their daughter Gera in March 2008, but due to the political and legal situation, the child was granted guardianship by a lawyer Mark Feigina.