A brave teenager who defied a dictator in a demonstration singing a banned song calling for the end of Vladimir Putin’s rule has been hauled through the courts by the outraged tune sensitive leader. Determined Diana Loginova took part in a rare show of public defiance against Putin with a large group of young Russians singing an outlawed anti-Ukraine war song on the night of October 11 in St Petersburg.
The spectacle soon went viral causing embarrassment for Putin and Russian authorities who took the draconian step of arresting the 18-year-old, and two other musicians, sentencing them to 13 days in jail. Loginova had been singing along to a rap from Noize MC, a pro-Ukrainian Russian rapper, from a tune with the lyrics “Where have you been for eight years, you f****** monsters? I want to watch ballet, let the swans dance”, adding: “Let your grandpa tremble with excitement for Swan Lake”.
The reference to the famous ballet Swan Lake is linked to the Soviet era when the ruling regime would often show the performance when major events were happening, such as a change of leadership in the Communist party. The song by the rapper, whose real name is Ivan Alekseev, has become an unofficial anthem of young Russians disillusioned with Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Alekseev has since been declared a “foreign agent” by the Kremlin, which has used the term against anyone speaking out against the war since the invasion started in February 2022. The musician released Co-operative Swan Lake at the time of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in a bid to call for the end of Putin’s leadership and to inspire Russians to go against the government. The tune is banned in the Russian Federation.
Such open displays of dissent in the streets of a major Russian city are rare, and previous demonstrations have been brutally put down by the authorities. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Loginova now faces two trials for defamation of the Supreme Court. She could face a fine or more inprisonment.
The video of her protest was widely shared on social media, sparking joy amongst Ukraine supporters and fierce anger on pro-Kremlin Telegram channels. Several prominent backers of Putin have called for all those involved in the demonstration to be punished immediately.
Under Russia’s brutal new censorship laws, enacted since the invasion of Ukraine, any material designated “extremist” can be prohibited and if the authorities do crack down on the youngsters in this video, they could face heavy fines and imprisonment.
