Mit gondolnak fiatal oroszok a Pussy Riotról?

„Well .... I really don't know about this band.
I can't help you, sorry... :-)” (Elena)

„Persze nem totally Ok mit csinaltak a Pusszik, de a buntetesuk tul eros, nem lehet 3 evre ezert bezarni az embert. Voltam Madonna koncerten Moszkvaban, tetszett amit o is mondott: nem jo amit csinaltak, de mar megkaptak a buntetest. (a szuleimet is megkerdeztem - azt mondtak hogy adjak nekik rongyokat es hadd tisztitjak a padlokat templomban))” (Ekaterina)

„Mivel én már nem Oroszországban lakom, híreket se mindennap nézem, azért nem követtem annyira sürün az eseményeket. De tudom, mit csináltak, hol énekeltek. Gondolom, hogy itéletben nincs semmi politika, és azért kaptak 2év börtönt, mert templomban énekeltek "átfogalmazott" imádságot, azon a helyen, ahova tilos belépni embereknek, csak templomi szolgálók beléphetnek óda. Persze, hogy ez nem büncselekmény, de a magatártásuk sok ember érzeteit sertette. Képzelj, hogy valami pankok vagy emók belépnek Szent István Bazilikába, vagy Szent Peter Bazilikába (Romába) és ott fognak énekelni és táncolni! Gondolom, őket is rendőrségbe viszik. Ezert én egyetértek azzal, hogy kaptak bírói itéletet, de maga a büntetést túl szigorúbbnak tekintem, én inkább közmunkákra küldtek lányokat.” (Victoria)

„They are not brave or something. They are a reflection of russian politics: vulgar, shoking, showing lack of respect (church for ex.) They got used by the "history-makers" to entertain the "revolutuioner's" attention with a new toy. Do you know what people in internet say abt Putin? Russian social nets are full of dirty jokes, open rude critics etc. Why are all the Putin-haters still free? Did Pussy Riot really cross the line? oh c'mon. It had been crossed lng ago. The roots are in our mentality.
We russians like that long-lasting tension of the Cruel Unfair Life. We like to be provoked to rebell in a slow long way. we don't like it easy. we like the culmination: distruction. Putin pulled the right strings, provoking people to protest, so everybody is happy: Putin continues to do what he's always done. people protest happily thinking they are free. Foreign spectators rub hands: russians woke up.
So why the Pussy Riot become the icon of the injustice? The government could have totally ignored them, as they actually do with all the rest. nobody would know who the PR were. But the watchdogs of the "history-making" department found them quite touching: they represent so many minorities.
Perfect object to be repressed. and shown on tv. I don't believe in free press in russia (remember Politkovskaya?), so a random thing could hardly be shown on tv. espessially the church scene, what strong social buttons are used in the video.
Many people would throw a couple of eggs in me for my apolitical point of view. To avoid misunderstandings: i would be glad if the PR is finally FREE. And yes, i like better the image of the nation that tries to rebell, even invented.” (Tania)

„I think that all of the participants were not right, but this sitution showed problems that we have and opened them for discussion.
Pussy Riot did a bad and fullish thing, they looked like teenagers, but not as the mothers. Even if listen the text of their prayer "Good mother pls take away Putin" there is only one question - and what then?.. seems to be infantilism.
Church too. All high-ranked priests have expensive cars, wear expensive watches and have a lot of money. And instead of forgiveness they blame these girls. Aweful.
President is very afraid of such exclamations about himself not only with this girls but in general. And it is very bad. For some years there has been a tend to represent him as a tsar.
Probably for Russia having a tsar is the only one way of policy, i think that democracy is not for this country.
But this punishment is so stupid and not correlated to a thing that was done.” (Anya)

„Well,it's not the easy question about this girls..but what I think is they r not deserve 2 years of prison what they got.I think that it was just a protest against government and not against the religion.Ofcourse it was to much and it would was better to them chose another place for their protest,cause for me the Church it is saint,even it's a touristic place..so people should respect religions and saint places of each other. But anyway people have their right for protest and saying their opinion..” (Oksana)

„I believe in God and consider myself to be a member of the orthodox church. I hink, that the girls should be punished just with a fine. If it was so I would have an opportunity to discuss how stupid, immoral and ugly this action was. But now, when the reaction of the government and the church is so insane I can’t do that, because I can’t feel anything but a pity for them. This situation separates the society and destroys the image of the church. Taking part in politics the Russian church has forgot the main things that it is responsible for and became a sort of political party. I am against the sentence, of course. That's why I took part in collecting signatures to support the band.” (Anna)

„So... I guess, girls have just chosen a wrong place. As the main thing they had wish to protest against was Putin's politics.
Our society is very conservative and quite narrow-minded (in majority). Orthodox religion was always a powerful political instrument here, eagerly used by most of people "in power" from times of knyaz Vladimir, who officially baptized Rus' (except only Soviets, who prefered "Hitler style" - propaganda and terror). Putin uses religious means to rule the country to the fullest too.
Not only to blame him, most of our society are those perfect-fit "sheep" for a shepherd (especially small towns and villages: as we say here, "we have Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and other Russia". I guess I don't need to define the differences).
So, choosing one of main cathedrals in the country for their performance, girls hurt too many people - shepherds and sheep both.

At the same time they were unlucky, as our authorities "have chosen" them "a sacrificial goat". Pussy Riot for them was in right place in right time. Now politicians and church can "prove" that they do something and exist for reason, try to create some movement.

As you see I'm not tolerant neither to religion as an institution, nor Russian politics. Both of them are lovely means to bullshit people and make profit.

At the same time, if to remember laws and to be more tolerant to religion presonally, girls had no right to offend faithful. From this "bell tower", they should have ended up in court, as went against the law and moral ethics of society they belong too. As we say, "don't go with your own rules to someone's monastery".

Thus - they are in court, where should be. Just i don't understand, why to make such a show from all this.

My verdict: educate yourself and choose a smarter way. For all, mentioned above : )” (Ekaterina)

„Well, I don't think I can tell you do I like PR or not, cos I'm journalist too (smile) and I've discussed them too much on air. There are lots of positions and there are not less arguments for all this thoughts which I do understand.

But what I can say exactly is that PR is a mirror of Russian society how it is in this moment. Russian people don't like things are going on in the country, but they can't change it. They wanna do smth to change it but they don't know what to do. And when they try - you can see smth like PR. Smth loud, drawing attention but chaotic and aimless.

What about judgment, I think 2 years in prison for girls is too cruel. This is for nothing. And 2 of them have little children you know.” (Valentina)

„I don't like what they did (although I'm atheist and I don't like Orthodox Church in Russia at all). I think we have to respect other religion. But this case shows russian judicial system perfectly - 2 years of jail for such a stupid action! Whereas thousands of russian functionaries steal national money etc. And it shows also absence of freedom of speech (and all of other freedom) in Russia.” (Yulia)

„I have a lot of thoughts about it but i try to be short .I don't think that it is totally OK, what the Pussy Riot did,but i'm absolutely on their side .They apologised before the church and religious people,and i think if these people are real christians,they should forgive them .The most terrible thing in this situation it is our court .They are in prison just because our main politick want them to be in prison .Everybody understand that they are not so guilty to give them such criminal penalty .Our politick made it to show people
that such kind of story can happend to everybody who decide to say or to do something against him .We understand one more time that we are absolutely not protected in our country against police and government.” (Anastassia)

„I'm really shocked about your letter, and more shocked I'm when I just imagine how many weird things you will recieve back on your letter. My point of view is absolutly opposite to western mass media point. Do you still need my opinion? Because, first of all, what I see in your purpose of article, is to claim and to discredit my country by the background of this case. If I'm mistaken and you are really searching for different points of view, just let me know what size of my thoughts would be enough for you, because I'm not ready to answer just in one sentence.

To begin with, I don’t think that PR is a band, and they never were. Three home-made law quality songs are not enough to be in a one line with any good music bands… Moreover, I’m agnostic, if you ask me. But my grandmother was Orthodox Christian and 80% of Russians are too.

Secondly, we must distinguish the legal and the moral sides of this issue.

Let’s start with morality. Russia is a secular state with temporal power, and everyone can practice the religion he wants to practice – Islam, Christianity and others. And now, just imagine older people, women, children in their church (where they come everyday to pray, to believe, to help others) had seen what you saw in YouTube. Is it worth to tell what pain all Orthodox believers felt? How it insulted them and their religious feelings? Can you imagine someone at your own home dancing on the bones of your relatives? But Orthodox Christians are merciful people; they forgave them and now are praying for salvation of their souls.

But the question is still open: what is the girls’ motivation? They showed the performance not in a mosque, not somewhere in the Caucasus, where police would rescue hem instead of arresting. They didn’t go to the Red Square where they would look like clowns, not to the President’s administration, where they would be recognized as terrorists. They could scream and shout about their political issues everywhere, blogging in the Internet, run for local parliament, hold social projects, but they decided to get attention, became famous. For them it was more important to outrage, to see the consequences and reaction.
Another variant is someone’s order, for example of opposition. I don’t know.

The legal side of the issue. "Two years for religious hatred and enmity". I’m not well in a criminal law, so I can’t comment this. And I absolutely don’t see any pressure of the church in that. Girls had expected to be arrested on political issue, instead of that they received the right of everyone to practice their religion. Some say it’s unfair, some say it’s not enough. I think it’s unfair. The verdict should be something about community payback, social works, cleaning up the floors in churches, being in connection and looking in the eyes of those whom they have offended, instead of sitting in the jail, eating everyday, reading books and thinking of reward.

What I’m offended by is about Russian Youth, that they don’t see the difference between moral human principals and law interpretation. They hold a mass meeting for PR, BUT NOT against unfair law or lack of democracy. They dance as PR, support immoral conduct, abusing of religious feelings, trying to get attention and just a small peace of PR’s fame: to show up how it’s difficult to live in Russia. This is the face of some young people in Russia, who don’t want to work, who didn’t study, who even didn’t try to change anything.

Do you think that PR is a symbol of freedom and fresh air of democracy in Russia? Are they victims? Do you feel sorry for the woman who made sex being pregnant in front of children in the museum? http://plucer.livejournal.com/55710.html (7th picture from above). Yes, it’s difficult to live in Russia, but it was worse in the 90s, and my family doesn’t want it back.
Was Madonna against illegal court decision? or freedom? She supported PR, so she supported the outrage of religion.

We stand for our rights and our freedom, forgetting about rights of others. This is what I think about the case of PR.” (Irina)

„I am an artist, and I don't think that was a good performance. It was very simple, but also very poignantly. And as a Buddhist, I can say that if some girls in masks came to our buddhist church, we just show the door to them, we would not even go to the police. They are after all no harm there, and no danger. But the girls are sitting in jail. Thats becouse the church is mixed with politics in Russia. Putin decided to show that he is ready to imprison all his opponents. This is clearly seen, if you read the sentence - no one even tried to disguise the fact that the girls just have to go to jail without a reason, even if every lawyer think that this simple hooliganism.” (Polina)

„I think that P. R. is not so important thing and Russia has more important problems.
This group did it not for politic or another cases. Only for epatage. And they achieved its =) Now they are really famous.” (Marina)