Hundreds of young Russians gathered in the center of St. Petersburg on Tuesday to defy censorship by performing a banned song critical of the country’s president Vladimir Putin.
The crowd joined street musicians on the city’s Nevsky Prospect thoroughfare to sing “Cooperative Swan Lake,” which was outlawed in May 2025 when a St. Petersburg court labeled it “extremist”.
The song, written by 40-year-old pro-Ukraine rapper Noize MC, a.k.a Ivan Alexeyev, draws on the Soviet tradition of airing Swan Lake during political upheaval to symbolize regime change.
Its lyrics call for an end to Putin’s rule and strongly condemn public apathy toward the war.
The protest-style performance came amid tightening restrictions on artists opposing the Russian state and its invasion of Ukraine.
Alexeyev fled to Lithuania in 2022 after the invasion but continues to release music supporting Ukraine and memorializing opposition figures to Putin.
Despite his work being banned on Russian platforms, his songs circulate widely via VPNs and YouTube, amassing millions of views and keeping his message alive among Russian-speaking listeners.