BUST’s February/March 2017 issue — aka The Revolution Issue — is on newsstands RIGHT NOW. We’re excited to share a sneak peek into our cover story, featuring Nadya from Pussy Riot. To see the full story, pick up BUST on newsstands near you (or subscribe!).
On how she felt on November 8th, 2016:
“The day after my birthday this year, I was waiting for my gift, which would be the first female president. I went to the gym and my trainer made my butt hurt so much that I was suffering the whole day. You know how some people have a gut feeling? I had a butt feeling that something was about to go wrong.”
On how her feminism changed after having her daughter Gera:
“After I had my daughter, I became a much stronger feminist than I was before, because for some weird reason, when you have a baby, everybody starts treating you just as a mother. I didn’t want to just be seen as a reproductive machine, even though I had her. I didn’t want her to think of me as a reproductive machine. I wanted her to see me as a person.”
On how she stays brave despite the threat of violence:
“I think it’s a natural thing for a human being to have some fear. It’s a natural reaction; you would be dead if you did not have any fear. I was scared after I was attacked. For two months, if I was alone on the street and someone was approaching me, I would start to think about how I could run or how I could protect myself. But you cannot allow your fear to make you unproductive, and it was really important to me to keep doing my art. Sometimes you just have to forget about it — or learn to protect yourself. Just go take boxing lessons.”
On the best way to fight back:
“My strange punk advice is to mix everything that you know and everything that you care about into one thing, because I’m tired of all these conversations about art and politics. Why do you have to separate them? Think about the three weirdest things that come into your mind and then combine them into one artwork. If you keep it minimalistic and don’t add a lot of obstructing details, believe me, it will be good.”
To read the full interview, subscribe to BUST magazine.
ON THE COVER: NADYA TOLOKNO SHOT IN L.A. BY JEANEEN LUND; STYLING BY KIME BUZZELLI; BALACLAVA: GRAVITY TRADING; VINTAGE SWEATER: NEW/FOUND. 2ND PHOTO: PANTSUIT: RALPH LAUREN; METALLIC SHOES: PSKAUFMAN; WILD FEMINIST T-SHIRT: WILD FANG; JEWELRY: VINTAGE.
More from BUST
Take Action With BUST’s Revolution Issue
Pussy Riot Releases Feminist Anthems ‘Straight Outta Vagina’ And ‘Organs’
Pussy Riot Warns What Will Happen If Donald Trump Gets Elected
