Watch Pussy Riot’s Disturbing Protest Video ‘Chaika’
In 2015, Russian political activist Alexei Navalny directed an investigative documentary that purportedly uncovered criminal ties between the family of Russia’s prosecutor general, Yuri Chaika, and the country’s mafia. Pussy Riot have released “Chaika,” a protest single about the alleged corruption produced by TV on the Radio‘s Dave Sitek, paired with a disturbing music video.
The clip, directed by Andrey Fenochka and Pussy Riot‘s Nadya Tolokonnikova, finds the feminist band dressed as government officials as they torture and hang prisoners, with intermittent shots of creepy choreography. Sitek’s hip-hop-leaning production – built on DJ scratches, horn samples and heavy drums – moves the band away from their usual punk style.
“Corruption and criminal connections have become so common around Putin and his friends that 82% of Russians who have heard this story believe it to be very typical for the way the Russian government operates,” the band said in a a statement. “‘Everyone steals and kills in the Kremlin!,’ most Russians think. Corruption is everywhere and Russians are getting sick of it, but Putin uses government-controlled TV stations to convince people that the biggest threat to Russia is not the existence of Putin and officials like Chaika, but Western values.”
Pussy Riot spoke about their admiration for Sitek in a statement given to Pitchfork.
“Everybody should remember that we are flying on the fucking giant rocket though space. Everybody should think about it at least one time per day. Giant. Rocket. I wonder why people doesn’t have telescopes at their house to remind themselves about this truth,’ – says Dave,” the band wrote. “That is why he never tries to foretell what is going to happen during your new meeting. He really can give the things the opportunity to happen, to occur. And this is the most important talent an artist can have. All the rest, like technical skills, time period, style, will follow. The linchpin is to be able to let something strange happen, some incredible story or a peculiar situation. ‘How can I answer the question what track would we write next time? May be tomorrow we’ll just go to pick flowers. Or start sewing a pair of pants. Shall we sew some pants?’ This is Dave.”