Words Will Break Cement

The heroic story ofPussy Riot, who resurrected the power of truth in a society built on liesOn February 21, 2012, five young women entered the Cathedralof Christ the Savior in Moscow. In neon-colored dresses, tights, andbalaclavas, they performed a 'punk prayer' beseeching the 'Mother of God' to'get rid of Putin.' They were quickly shut down by security, and in the weeksand months that followed, three of the women were arrested and tried, and twowere sentenced to a remote prison colony. But the incident capturedinternational headlines, and footage of it went viral. People across the globerecognized not only a fierce act of political confrontation but also aninspired work of art that, in a time and place saturated with lies, found a newway to speak the truth.Masha Gessen's riveting account tells how such a phenomenoncame about. Drawing on her exclusive, extensive access to the members of PussyRiot and their families and associates, she reconstructs the fascinatingpersonal journeys that transformed a group of young women into artists with ashared vision, gave them the courage and imagination to express itunforgettably, and endowed them with the strength to endure the devastatingloneliness and isolation that have been the price of their triumph.