In St. Petersburg, an 18-year-old music college student, Diana Loginova (stage name “Naoko”), has been detained and sentenced to 13 days of administrative arrest after performing the song “Swan Lake Cooperative” by Noize MC — a track recently banned in Russia as “extremist”.
Loginova performed on a busy street with her band Stoptime, drawing a crowd that police say blocked access to a metro station — leading to charges of organising an unsanctioned public event. The crowd videos, shared online, featured the young singer and audience chanting lyrics including:
I want to watch the ballet, let the swans dance. Let the old man shake in fear for his lake.
The song references the dacha cooperative Ozero, known to be linked with President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, and the ballet Swan Lake—which has historically been used on Soviet and Russian TV to signal regime change. Russian courts banned the track in May 2025, saying it contained “propaganda for violent change of the constitutional order”.
Two musicians from Stoptime also received administrative penalties. After serving her term, Loginova is expected to face additional administrative charges under Russia’s “discrediting the armed forces” law, which could lead to criminal liability if she re-offends.
Human rights experts say the case may mark a broader trend of cultural repression — where even street performances and youth music are subject to state control. The arrest underscores how public art is increasingly treated as a form of dissent in Russia’s current climate.
The virtual museum “Perm-36” expressed solidarity with Diana Loginova and other persecuted musicians, emphasizing that freedom of artistic expression must not become a punishable act. We believe that art and honesty should never be crimes. And yes — let the swans dance again.
Source: Reuters — Russian street musician is jailed for 13 days after she played banned song.