Lucy Shtein
Russian feminist activist (born 1996)

Lucy Shtein
Born
Lyudmila Petrovna Shtein

(1996-07-02) 2 July 1996 (age 29)[citation needed]
Citizenship
  • Russia
  • Iceland (since 2023)
OccupationPolitical activist
OrganizationPussy Riot

Lucy Shtein (Russian: Люся Штейн – Lyusya Shtein, born Lyudmila Petrovna Shtein (Russian: Людмила Петровна Штейн) on 2 July 1996) is a Russian activist and a member of the punk-rock collective Pussy Riot.

Activism and criminal charges

In 2021, Shtein was placed in house arrest in Moscow with her girlfriend, Maria Alyokhina, for supporting political prisoners in Russia.[1][2] A tracking bracelet mounted to her ankle was used to track Shtein while she remained under house arrest.[3] Shtein, and later Alyokhina, used green food courier outfits to escape.[4] Shtein also smuggled her pet rat in the food delivery bag.[5][6]

Shtein has spoken against laws in Russia that ban "LGBT propaganda",[7] and in 2022 she and other members of Pussy Riot performed at the pride parade in St. Petersburg, Florida.[8] In 2023, she and three other members of Pussy Riot protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[9]

In November 2023 a court in Russia charged Shtein with sharing fake news about the Russian military.[10][11] In 2024, a Russian court sentenced her to six years in prison, in absentia, for posts on X in which she condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12]

In response to Navalny's death in 2024, Pussy Riot members Shtein and Nadya Tolokonnikova took part in memorial action outside of the Russian Embassy in Berlin, along with Lyubov Sobol and Marina Ovsyannikova.[13]

Since 2022, Shtein has been working with the "North Caucasus SOS" crisis group, which protects the rights of and evacuates persecuted LGBTQ+ people from Chechnya, Dagestan, and other republics of the North Caucasus region of Russia. The work of human rights activists from "North Caucasus SOS" is highlighted in the HBO documentary "Welcome to Chechnya".[citation needed]

Personal life

Shtein has lived in Vilnius, Lithuania since her escape from Russia in 2022.[14] In 2023 the government of Iceland granted Shtein Icelandic citizenship via parliamentary decree.[15] In July 2025, Shtein tweeted that she will marry her husband.[16]

References

  1. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (17 March 2021). "Pussy Riot House Arrest Likely to be Extended, Case Hearing This Week". Variety. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  2. ^ Harding, Luke (17 March 2021). "Prominent supporters of Alexei Navalny face 'indefinite' house arrest". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ Joffre, Tzvi (16 May 2022). "Pussy Riot member placed on Russian wanted list after escape". The Jerusalem Post. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  4. ^ Hopkins, Valerie; Friedman, Misha (10 May 2022). "Leader of Pussy Riot Band Escapes Russia, With Help From Friends". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  5. ^ Sauer, Pjotr (11 May 2022). "'It was foolproof': Pussy Riot activist tells of courier-suit escape from Russia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  6. ^ Ebel, Francesca (1 June 2022). "With her PlayStation and her pet rat: how one member of Pussy Riot fled Russia". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. ^ Ebel, Francesca (24 November 2022). "Russia advances bill to criminalize 'promoting' LGBTQ relationships". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  8. ^ Wynne, Sharon Kennedy (20 May 2022). "St. Pete Pride makes starry return". Tampa Bay Times. pp. A3. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  9. ^ Dixon, Robyn (4 December 2023). "In second act, Russian activist group Pussy Riot protests Ukraine war". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Exiled Pussy Riot Member Arrested in Absentia for 'War Fakes'". The Moscow Times. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  11. ^ Morris-Grant, Brianna (7 November 2023). "Pussy Riot member Lucy Shtein fled Russia dressed as a delivery driver — she's now on an international wanted list". ABC News. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Russia sentences Pussy Riot activist to six years in absentia for Ukraine "war fakes"". Reuters. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Pussy Riot Members, Others Honor Navalny At Berlin Memorial Event". Radio Free Europe. 18 February 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Russian emigres gather across Europe to mourn Navalny". Cyprus Mail; Nicosia. 17 February 2024.
  15. ^ Tómas, Ragnar (10 May 2023). "Two Members of Pussy Riot to Receive Icelandic Citizenship". Iceland Review. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  16. ^ "вот я и выхожу замуж". X (in Russian). 13 July 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
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