Songs of Suffering: State Violence, Body, and Death in Russian Opposition Music

• In Event: Russian Opposition and Anti-War Movement(s) and Its Intellectual Legacy

Abstract

This paper examines how the imagery of mutilated bodies and death is metaphorically employed in the songs of Russian opposition artists such as Pornofilmy, Monetochka, NoizeMC, Face, and others between 2011 and 2025—a period marked by escalating repression against protest under Putin’s regime. Close reading and analysis of the lyrics explores how these violent metaphors reflect state violence and the role of law enforcement in suppressing dissent. By linking bodily destruction to political oppression, these songs serve as a powerful artistic response to the brutality of the Russian state, turning suffering into a form of resistance.

Author

• Diana Avdeeva, Columbia U