The Viral Performances and the Crackdown
Carousel Arrests: A Tactic of Endless Persecution
Art as the Last Language of Dissent
A Ripple Effect of Defiance
State Media and the Battle of Narratives
The Personal Cost of Public Protest
The Uncertain Future for Artistic Freedom
The image is a familiar one in urban landscapes across the globe: a young musician, bathed in the glow of smartphone flashlights, pours their heart out for a captivated audience on a city street. But in St. Petersburg, Russia, this scene of artistic expression has become a potent act of political defiance with severe consequences. Diana Loginova, an 18-year-old student known by her stage name Naoko, has transitioned from a viral street performer to a symbol of resistance, her keyboard and voice now silenced behind bars. Her story is a stark illustration of the relentless suppression of dissent in Vladimir Putin's Russia, where even the performance of songs by artists critical of the war in Ukraine is treated as a criminal threat to public order.
The Viral Performances and the Crackdown
Naoko, along with her band Stoptime, gained a significant following over the summer through widely shared videos of their impromptu concerts around St. Petersburg. Their performances, often held outside subway stations, featured songs by musicians who have publicly condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In a nation where independent media is shuttered and public protest is virtually extinct, these musical gatherings became an unexpected channel for collective expression and a subtle, yet powerful, form of anti-war sentiment. The popularity of these videos, however, acted as a beacon for the state's security apparatus. Russian authorities, having systematically crushed nearly all forms of opposition, quickly moved to extinguish this burgeoning platform. The initial detention was framed not as a political act, but as the disruption of public order, with Naoko accused of organizing an illegal "mass simultaneous gathering of citizens."
Carousel Arrests: A Tactic of Endless Persecution
Naoko's first arrest resulted in a 13-day administrative sentence. Yet, upon her release, she was immediately rearrested on the same charges, and then again a third time, with additional accusations of "petty hooliganism" added to the list. This cyclical pattern, described by human rights activists as "carousel arrests," is a deliberate strategy to prolong detention indefinitely without a formal trial for a serious crime. Dmitrii Anisimov, a spokesperson for the protest-monitoring group OVD-Info, explained that this tactic can, in practice, lead to months of imprisonment. The legal precedent exists, allowing authorities to keep a target in a state of perpetual uncertainty and punishment. The message is clear and intended to intimidate not just the individual but the wider society: any form of unsanctioned public expression will be met with relentless and draining persecution.
Art as the Last Language of Dissent
In an interview published months before her imprisonment, Naoko displayed a prescient understanding of her precarious position. She confessed to being "scared" of detention but felt compelled to continue, stating, "I understand that art is now the only language at least in Russia through which you can express your thoughts. I've chosen it and don't want to speak any other." This statement encapsulates the reality for a generation of Russians whose political voice has been systematically erased. When traditional avenues of protest marches, political parties, independent journalism are blocked, art, music, and poetry become the final frontier for dissent. Naoko s choice to use her musical talent as her sole medium of expression highlights both the resilience of the human spirit and the extreme constraints placed upon it by an authoritarian regime.
A Ripple Effect of Defiance
Far from successfully silencing all opposition, the persecution of Naoko has inspired a ripple effect of solidarity. In her absence, other musicians have taken up the mantle, using their art to protest her incarceration and to keep the spirit of defiance alive. Near the Kiyevskaya metro station in Moscow, a musician named Vasily told reporters that Naoko's case had "lit a fire" in him, motivating his own street performances as a act of support. Similarly, Valentina, a professional musician from Yaroslavl, has been singing on streets and social media in Naoko's name. These acts demonstrate that state repression can inadvertently create new martyrs and symbols, galvanizing a dispersed and leaderless resistance movement that is harder to target than a single, organized structure.
State Media and the Battle of Narratives
The case has not flown under the radar; it has been extensively covered by both exiled independent media and, notably, Russian state news agencies. This dual coverage creates a battle of narratives. For independent outlets, Naoko is a brave young woman being persecuted for her art and her implicit anti-war stance. For state-controlled media, the coverage likely serves to frame her as a delinquent or a pawn of foreign forces, a troublemaker whose actions legitimately disturbed the peace. This media war extends to the streets, where supporters have spread leaflets calling for her freedom, attempting to counter the state's narrative and maintain public awareness of her plight in the face of official obfuscation.
The Personal Cost of Public Protest
Behind the political symbolism lies a deeply personal story of sacrifice and fear. At just 18 years old, Naoko faces the grim reality of repeated incarcerations, the psychological torment of the "carousel" system, and an uncertain future. Her band members have also served back-to-back sentences, sharing in the collective punishment. The personal cost of taking a stand, however artistic, is immense. It involves the loss of liberty, the disruption of education and career, and the constant anxiety for one's safety and the safety of loved ones. Naoko's lawyer, Maria Zyryanova, has remained publicly silent on the specifics of the case while her client is imprisoned, a common precaution in politically charged legal battles where any statement can be used against the defendant.
The Uncertain Future for Artistic Freedom
As Naoko's current sentence nears its end, the question looms: what happens next? The mechanism of carousel arrests suggests that her release on Sunday may be brief. The precedent set by her case has a chilling effect on artistic expression across Russia. It signals to every street musician, every painter, every writer that their work will be scrutinized not for its artistic merit, but for its potential political subtext. The space for cultural expression is shrinking into a state-approved corridor, leaving little room for the independent and critical spirit that often fuels great art. Naoko s journey from a subway station to a prison cell is more than an individual tragedy; it is a metric for the health of free expression in modern Russia, and the current diagnosis is critical.
Источник: https://federal-standard7.com/component/k2/item/215494