In Pussy Riot News, we are at the part of their epic saga in which the two remaining brave artists have been sentenced to two years in prison. Separated and sent to remote gulags, the girls will not be able to cause any more trouble to the state. There is great concern for their well being in these harsh penal colonies. On November 23, Maria Alyokhina, age 24, was moved to solitary confinement for her safety. An argument about religion was the cause of discord between prisoners. The condition of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has not been reported. Pussy Riot is now the prime example to any Russian who might get a wild idea in their head and choose to express it. The price is very high.
Repressing the people of a nation isn't really that hard. The easy steps are clearly laid out in the short history of human civilization. Once you have charmed and entertained one half of the people, all a dictator needs to do is establish new laws to scare the naysayers and the opposition into silent submission. Nobody wants trouble, let alone jail time. A good example can be found in the iron fist of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Recently, his new law has been enacted, expanding the definition of treason. Now you can face major jail time, a heck of a lot easier. Want to complain about lousy state services? Or simply the idea of freedom of speech? It's not a good idea. Just ask Pussy Riot, a name we cannot and will never forget. 
This is the part of the story when we forget about Pussy Riot. They fester away. Their voices are silenced to a hoarse whisper. There is no commotion to entertain us. No new ruling to outrage us. The once-fascinating and sexy story has stalled. And we get bored. And we turn our attention to the next cause celeb, such as our displaced outrage and fascination with the Petraeus sex and spy scandal. There will always be an entertaining new monster to threaten a hero, like the Taliban and Pakistan's Malala. [To read Part One of this article; click here]
We will not forget the brave and provocative Pussy Riot. They made art and created the most defiant strike for individual rights and freedom in the Russian Motherland. No one else has been as vocal or as 'threatening' to the establishment. No one has been as creative and principled. Flattery aside, Pussy Riot is the most recent martyr in an extensive history of Russian dissenters who paid with their living lives. Pussy Riot is internationally visible, a perfect foil to the cold-hearted and clever Putin. Pussy Riot is beyond bold in a population that is clearly cowed to a dictator.
What are we doing about it? Fellow artist Michael Delgado and I have created a piece in honor of Pussy Riot. We want to help keep the fire burning and their story alive. We have used satire and our pop culture to manufacture the world of Pussy Riot Vodka. The humorous creation story was detailed in Part One of this article; click here to read it. So far, the project has been a viral success. The vodka looks so real; it has caused a few scandals that we can't wait to tell you about.
Over the next two years of their imprisonment, we will be creating content and sharing the fun with you. Enjoy the show. Humor heals. Relax and have a Putini! We will never forget the great Pussy Riot!
Gordy Grundy is a Los Angeles based artist and arts writer. His visual and literary work can be found at www.GordyGrundy.com.
Michael Delgado is an artist. His brushwork can be found at www.akaDelgado.com
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