Artists were searched in Russia for connections with foreign agent Pyotr Verzilov
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On Tuesday, in several regions of Russia, FSB officers conducted searches of artists who touched upon political themes in their work. It is assumed that the investigative actions are related to the criminal case of the producer of the Pussy Riot art project and the former publisher of Mediazona (recognized as a foreign agent) Pyotr Verzilov (also a foreign agent). During the day, FSB officers visited Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg artists. Some of them were interrogated and released as witnesses.
A series of searches of artists began in St. Petersburg. Around seven in the morning, operatives came to the actionist, creator of the “I Stay” project (unites oppositionists who cannot or do not want to leave Russia) Katrin Nenasheva. I wrote about this in Telegram channel her friend is punk singer and antifa activist Natasha Chetverio. The girl managed to report that she and Katrin Nenasheva woke up from a loud knock on the door and had already called a lawyer. A few hours later, Mrs. Chetverio wrote new details in the channel: “We had a search in the case of Pyotr Verzilov (included in the register of foreign agents.— “Kommersant”), the article is treason, Katya was declared a witness in it. All our equipment was confiscated. Katya was taken away for questioning by the FSB, and a lawyer went to see her (he was only allowed in just recently).” Finally, the singer advised readers: “Be prepared to be searched if you are involved in activism.”
At the same time, St. Petersburg FSB officers came with searches to participant in the art project “Party of the Dead” Kristina Bubentsova, street artist Sasha Blot (pseudonym of Alexander Salnikov), activist Anastasia Mikhailova, artists Alexandra Kachko and Vladlena Milkina.
In Yekaterinburg, security forces visited the former director of the Ural branch of the Pushkin Museum named after. Pushkin to Kristina Gorlanova. “At six in the morning, eight people came to me, searched my apartment, seized my computer and phone, some books, exhibition catalogs, and papers. I am a witness in the criminal case of an “artist” whom I don’t even know and have never heard anything about. They asked not to disclose the name, so I won’t,” she told OVD-Info (the project is included in the register of foreign agents). A search was also carried out at the organizer of the guerrilla street art festival “Carte Blanche” Ilya Mozgi (pseudonym of Ilya Chistykh).
In Nizhny Novgorod, the apartments of the founder of the Tikhaya art studio, Artem Filatov, and its resident Andrei Olenev were searched. FSB officers came to the home of Ulyanovsk artist Yegor Kholtov and to the place of registration of Samara actionist Denis Mustafin. In Moscow, searches took place at the home of Elena Verzilova, the mother of media manager and producer of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot Pyotr Verzilov (recognized as a foreign agent). FSB officers also came to the members of the punk group Rita Flores (Margarita Konovalova), Olga Kuracheva and Olga Pakhtusova; the girls were taken away for interrogation. Let us recall that in 2018, Ms. Pakhtusova, Ms. Kuracheva and Mr. Verzilov (recognized as a foreign agent) dressed as police officers and ran onto the field during the final match of the World Cup. The artists called their action the “Policeman Enters the Game” action and stated that it was directed against political persecution. Also in Moscow, a search was conducted at the home of a friend of the artist Philippenzo (Philip Kozlov), who lives in Lithuania. Previously, a criminal case was opened against Mr. Kozlov for vandalism based on political hatred (Part 2 of Article 214 of the Criminal Code); The artist was put on the federal wanted list.
At the time of publication, most of the detained artists were released as witnesses and under a non-disclosure agreement.
Human rights activists who spent the entire day consulting with the detainees told Kommersant that at least some of the searches were authorized by the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow. They are connected with Pyotr Verzilov (recognized as a foreign agent), against whom, Kommersant’s interlocutors say, a criminal case has been opened under Art. 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (high treason).
Let us recall that in November 2023, the Basmanny Court of Moscow sentenced the producer of Pussy Riot in absentia to eight and a half years in prison in the case of disseminating false information about the Russian army (clause “d”, part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and put him on the international wanted list . But the day before the searches, it became known that the Moscow City Court overturned the verdict due to violations of criminal procedural norms. The case was sent for retrial at first instance by a new composition of judges. In addition, the media manager is accused under Art. 330.2 of the Criminal Code (failure to notify of second citizenship), since he also has a Canadian passport.
Let us add that in October 2023, Pyotr Verzilov (included in the register of foreign agents) said in an interview with journalist Yuriy Dud (recognized as a foreign agent) that he serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, performing “intelligence and logistics tasks.” He said that he first came to the combat zone as a documentarian, and then decided to sign a contract with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the time of publication, Mr. Verzilov (included in the register of foreign agents) did not comment on the searches of Russian artists.
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