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Russian Dissident Artist Will Seek Asylum in France Russian Dissident Artist Will Seek Asylum in France
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Paris — He has nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones of Red Square, sewn his lips shut to protest free-speech restrictions and set fire to the doors of Russia’s Federal Security Service. Now, Pyotr Pavlensky, Russia’s best-known anti-government performance artist, has fled to France, where he intends to seek political asylum. PARIS — He has nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones of Red Square, sewn his lips shut to protest free-speech restrictions and set fire to the doors of Russia’s Federal Security Service. Now, Pyotr Pavlensky, Russia’s best-known anti-government performance artist, has fled to France, where he intends to seek political asylum.
Russian authorities questioned Mr. Pavlensky and his partner, Oksana Shalygina, last month after an actress at an avant-garde Moscow theater filed a complaint accusing them of sexual assault. The couple deny the allegations, saying that the encounter was a consensual threesome and that the case is politically motivated. Amid the ambiguities — and at a time when violence against women is a topic of intense debate in the country — Russia’s cultural opposition is now divided over a figure once seen as a symbol of the resistance to President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia.Russian authorities questioned Mr. Pavlensky and his partner, Oksana Shalygina, last month after an actress at an avant-garde Moscow theater filed a complaint accusing them of sexual assault. The couple deny the allegations, saying that the encounter was a consensual threesome and that the case is politically motivated. Amid the ambiguities — and at a time when violence against women is a topic of intense debate in the country — Russia’s cultural opposition is now divided over a figure once seen as a symbol of the resistance to President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia.
Mr. Pavlensky and Ms. Shalygina have not been formally charged, but were questioned by the police in Moscow on Dec. 15 and informed that they could face up to 10 years in prison. Told not to leave Moscow while the case was pending, they said they saw what was likely to happen and took their daughters, ages 6 and 8, to France over the weekend after spending a month in Ukraine.Mr. Pavlensky and Ms. Shalygina have not been formally charged, but were questioned by the police in Moscow on Dec. 15 and informed that they could face up to 10 years in prison. Told not to leave Moscow while the case was pending, they said they saw what was likely to happen and took their daughters, ages 6 and 8, to France over the weekend after spending a month in Ukraine.
“We’ve become victims of this investigation,” Mr. Pavlensky said in an interview on Monday in a Paris cafe, speaking Russian through an interpreter, and with Ms. Shalygina at his side. “It’s like a horrible dream that you can’t even imagine.”“We’ve become victims of this investigation,” Mr. Pavlensky said in an interview on Monday in a Paris cafe, speaking Russian through an interpreter, and with Ms. Shalygina at his side. “It’s like a horrible dream that you can’t even imagine.”
The situation — with its charges of a honey trap and “kompromat” (compromising material gathered by the authorities) — reflects the climate of suspicion and growing authoritarianism in Russia, where artists like the female punk band Pussy Riot have faced jail, but, for the most part, outright Soviet-style censorship has given way to artistic self-censorship in the face of changing laws and cuts to culture funding.The situation — with its charges of a honey trap and “kompromat” (compromising material gathered by the authorities) — reflects the climate of suspicion and growing authoritarianism in Russia, where artists like the female punk band Pussy Riot have faced jail, but, for the most part, outright Soviet-style censorship has given way to artistic self-censorship in the face of changing laws and cuts to culture funding.
The accusations, however, have prompted even some supporters of Mr. Pavlensky to question his behavior. The theater where the actress works, Teatr.doc, is known for documentary-style plays that have criticized and angered the Russian government, and it has supported Mr. Pavlensky in the past. But its leadership has seconded the assault accusations and defended the actress against the couple’s assertions that she was working for the state.The accusations, however, have prompted even some supporters of Mr. Pavlensky to question his behavior. The theater where the actress works, Teatr.doc, is known for documentary-style plays that have criticized and angered the Russian government, and it has supported Mr. Pavlensky in the past. But its leadership has seconded the assault accusations and defended the actress against the couple’s assertions that she was working for the state.
This is not the first time Mr. Pavlensky has found himself in the cross hairs of the Russian authorities. Over the years, they have ordered him to undergo a dozen psychiatric evaluations, a technique long used to quash political dissent. In 2014 he chopped off his right earlobe for a piece called “Segregation,” inspired by van Gogh and intended, he said, to show that “psychiatry is a collection of subjective opinions.”This is not the first time Mr. Pavlensky has found himself in the cross hairs of the Russian authorities. Over the years, they have ordered him to undergo a dozen psychiatric evaluations, a technique long used to quash political dissent. In 2014 he chopped off his right earlobe for a piece called “Segregation,” inspired by van Gogh and intended, he said, to show that “psychiatry is a collection of subjective opinions.”
After setting fire to the doors of Lubyanka, the Moscow headquarters of Russia’s infamous security service, in 2015, he served seven months in pretrial detention on charges of vandalism. (He called that action “Threat” and said it was intended to illuminate “what people prefer to forget,” that the security apparatus hadn’t changed since Soviet times.)After setting fire to the doors of Lubyanka, the Moscow headquarters of Russia’s infamous security service, in 2015, he served seven months in pretrial detention on charges of vandalism. (He called that action “Threat” and said it was intended to illuminate “what people prefer to forget,” that the security apparatus hadn’t changed since Soviet times.)
He was released last June with a fine, a move human rights activists said was intended to avoid an international incident of the kind that ensued after members of Pussy Riot were jailed in 2012 on charges of hooliganism for performing an anti-Putin song in a Moscow church.He was released last June with a fine, a move human rights activists said was intended to avoid an international incident of the kind that ensued after members of Pussy Riot were jailed in 2012 on charges of hooliganism for performing an anti-Putin song in a Moscow church.
Soon after, Mr. Pavlensky said, he gave some lectures at Teatr.doc. It was at one of them last September that he met the actress who later filed the assault complaint.Soon after, Mr. Pavlensky said, he gave some lectures at Teatr.doc. It was at one of them last September that he met the actress who later filed the assault complaint.
Mr. Pavlensky said that on Dec. 4, the actress texted Ms. Shalygina. The couple — who say they have an open relationship — invited her to their Moscow apartment that evening. “We talked about art,” he said. “We sat and drank coffee. We drank Cognac, but not a lot.”Mr. Pavlensky said that on Dec. 4, the actress texted Ms. Shalygina. The couple — who say they have an open relationship — invited her to their Moscow apartment that evening. “We talked about art,” he said. “We sat and drank coffee. We drank Cognac, but not a lot.”
“There was some form of intimacy,” he added. “And then she said she wants to leave. We said, ‘Fine, no problem.’ We parted as friends.”“There was some form of intimacy,” he added. “And then she said she wants to leave. We said, ‘Fine, no problem.’ We parted as friends.”
Both Mr. Pavlensky, 32, and Ms. Shalygina, 37, said it was the first time the three had had sex together.Both Mr. Pavlensky, 32, and Ms. Shalygina, 37, said it was the first time the three had had sex together.
Yuri A. Lysenko, a lawyer for the actress, said that Mr. Pavlensky had committed a “crime,” a rape, and that he wanted to portray the police investigation as politically motivated to avoid punishment.Yuri A. Lysenko, a lawyer for the actress, said that Mr. Pavlensky had committed a “crime,” a rape, and that he wanted to portray the police investigation as politically motivated to avoid punishment.
Adding to the confusion over the allegations, this week Teatr.doc posted on its Facebook page a video dated Oct. 31 that it said showed Mr. Pavlensky and others beating up a man they said was the actress’s boyfriend, in the theater’s parking lot.Adding to the confusion over the allegations, this week Teatr.doc posted on its Facebook page a video dated Oct. 31 that it said showed Mr. Pavlensky and others beating up a man they said was the actress’s boyfriend, in the theater’s parking lot.
Mr. Pavlensky said that the video was “murky” and that he didn’t recognize himself in it. But he said he had been involved in a physical altercation with the actress’s boyfriend in October, when he and others confronted the man over allegations that he had beaten her. The Interfax News Agency reported that the police told him that a criminal case had been opened about the fight. Mr. Pavlensky said that was not the case.Mr. Pavlensky said that the video was “murky” and that he didn’t recognize himself in it. But he said he had been involved in a physical altercation with the actress’s boyfriend in October, when he and others confronted the man over allegations that he had beaten her. The Interfax News Agency reported that the police told him that a criminal case had been opened about the fight. Mr. Pavlensky said that was not the case.
Mr. Lysenko said the fight with the boyfriend and the sexual assault allegations were “not related.”Mr. Lysenko said the fight with the boyfriend and the sexual assault allegations were “not related.”
He then added: “You have to ask Mr. Pavlensky if he has seen a psychiatrist recently. What he did is part of his carefully crafted plan to paint his crime in political colors.”He then added: “You have to ask Mr. Pavlensky if he has seen a psychiatrist recently. What he did is part of his carefully crafted plan to paint his crime in political colors.”
In a Facebook post that she said would be her last word on the matter, Yelena Gremina, the director of Teatr.doc, called the couple’s claims that the actress worked for the security services “slander.”In a Facebook post that she said would be her last word on the matter, Yelena Gremina, the director of Teatr.doc, called the couple’s claims that the actress worked for the security services “slander.”
On Russia’s vibrant social media, artists are divided over the case. “The hysteria with Pavlensky is an alarming sign that anyone who becomes a significant ‘fighter against the regime’ is immediately put on a pedestal and declared a saint,” the artist Lena Hades wrote on Facebook.On Russia’s vibrant social media, artists are divided over the case. “The hysteria with Pavlensky is an alarming sign that anyone who becomes a significant ‘fighter against the regime’ is immediately put on a pedestal and declared a saint,” the artist Lena Hades wrote on Facebook.
Others came out against Mr. Pavlensky. “Alas, yesterday a national hero and a great performance artist, today — it’s true — a criminal, a psychopath and a rapist,” Olga Papernaya, a former art director at a Moscow film club, wrote on Facebook, suggesting that she was friends with the actress.Others came out against Mr. Pavlensky. “Alas, yesterday a national hero and a great performance artist, today — it’s true — a criminal, a psychopath and a rapist,” Olga Papernaya, a former art director at a Moscow film club, wrote on Facebook, suggesting that she was friends with the actress.
“For now, the authorities are winning,” Mr. Pavlensky said. The press is weak, he added, and “the so-called opposition” divided, even over Russia’s annexation of Crimea. “But each move is not the last,” he said of the country’s situation. “It’s not clear who will have the last word in this conflict.”“For now, the authorities are winning,” Mr. Pavlensky said. The press is weak, he added, and “the so-called opposition” divided, even over Russia’s annexation of Crimea. “But each move is not the last,” he said of the country’s situation. “It’s not clear who will have the last word in this conflict.”