Moscow Police Detain Musicians for Playing National Anthem
Moscow police detained street musicians performing the Russian national anthem during a city festival, citing a law on assemblies and detaining them for over an hour without documentation. The musicians were released without any paperwork or return of seized items.
Consensus
- The musicians were performing the Russian national anthem in a public space in Moscow.
- The performance took place on September 5 in South Butovo.
- Police interrupted the performance and detained the musicians.
- The musicians were taken to a police station.
- They were held for approximately one and a half hours.
- Police took fingerprints, photographs, and seized mobile phones and a pepper spray canister.
- Police asked for contact information of five close individuals.
- An attorney who arrived was not allowed access to the detained musicians.
- The musicians were released without any documents, including a detention protocol or receipt for seized items.
- The police cited Federal Law No. 54-FZ on assemblies and gatherings as the legal basis for the action.
- The musicians stated they were told that more than two people gathering is not allowed.
Points of divergence
- The crackdown on street musicians began in 2025 after performances by the group 'StopTime' in St. Petersburg, which sang songs by declared 'foreign agents' such as Monetochka and Noize MC. — meduza
- Three members of 'StopTime' — vocalist Naoko (Diana Loginova), guitarist Alexander Orlov, and drummer Vladislav Leontyev — were subjected to 'carousel' arrests, leading Naoko and Orlov to leave Russia. — meduza
- After the 'StopTime' crackdown, street musicians supporting them were arrested in various cities, including Krasnodar, where they were required to submit applications with passport details and set repertoires in advance. — meduza
Coverage (7 sources)
- In Moscow, police detained street musicians performing the Russian anthem. According to the detained musicians themselves, police demanded... — Радио Свобода
- Street musicians were detained in Moscow during the performance of the Russian anthem — ЭХО / Новости
- Moscow police banned street musicians from playing the Russian anthem — Дождь
- In Moscow, street musicians who performed the Russian anthem on City Day were detained. Police cited the law on rallies. — Meduza
- Moscow police banned street musicians from playing the Russian anthem — Дождь (Telegram)
- In Moscow, police detained street musicians performing the Russian anthem — ASTRA
- In Moscow, street musicians were detained for singing the Russian anthem on City Day — SOTAvision