She is a founding member of the feminist group Pussy Riot , and has a history of political activism with the street art group Voina.
On August 17, , she was arrested for " hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after a performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow and was ultimately sentenced to two years' imprisonment. On December 23, , she was released early alongside fellow Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina under a newly passed amnesty bill dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russian constitution.
While jailed, Tolokonnikova was recognized as a political prisoner by the Russian human rights group Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners. Currently she lives outside Russia, but does not disclose where for safety reasons.
Tolokonnikova was born on November 7, , in the industrial city of Norilsk , Russia, to parents Andrey Stepanovich Tolokonnikov and Yekaterina Voronina. Tolokonnikova and Pyotr Verzilov joined the Voina art collective in and participated in several of their provocative art performances. She was in the late stages of pregnancy at the time. On March 3, , she was detained by police at a dissenters march in Moscow. This project comprised female members' kissing policewomen in Moscow metro stations and on the streets.
Following the "Punk Prayer" incident on February 21, , a criminal case was opened on February 26 against the band members who had participated. They were arrested on March 4 after being accused of hooliganism. They first denied being members of the group and started a hunger strike in protest against being held in jail away from their young children. The trial of the Pussy Riot members started on July 30, , and ended in August with a verdict.
