The Human Frame
My work, as an actor and human rights campaigner, sits at the crossroads of human rights and the arts, exploring how creativity can reveal the deeper truths of what it means to be human. Through The Human Frame, I bring together artists, activists, and thinkers to explore how performance can become a form of resistance, empathy, and change.
The Human Frame
Escaping the System: Olga Borisova’s Journey from Russian Police to Pussy Riot Rebel
In this powerful episode of The Human Frame, Łucja speaks with Olga Borisova, a core member of Pussy Riot, about her extraordinary journey from working inside the Russian police force to becoming an internationally recognised activist, artist, and dissident.
Olga opens up about the moment she realised she could no longer serve the state machinery she disagreed with, and how that decision led her directly into the world of political art, protest, and creative resistance. Together, they explore what it means to use performance, storytelling, and digital activism to challenge authoritarianism, especially as censorship, harassment, and surveillance escalate across Russia and beyond.
Olga shares insight into:
• Her transition from police officer to Pussy Riot activist
• Why art became her form of rebellion
• Digital censorship, online harassment, and the risks she continues to face
• The power of feminist protest in Russia, standing for Ukraine
• Her upcoming book project
• The possibility of adapting her story into film or theatre
This episode is part of our 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence series, spotlighting artists and activists who use creativity as a tool for resistance, justice, and change.
Follow Olga Borisova / Pussy Riot:
Olga's Instagram
Pussy Riot Instagram
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Instagram
Host: Łucja Hawking
Music: Yago Cardalda