Pussy Riot leader escaped Russia by disguising herself as a food courier to avoid authorities

The leader of the Russian feminist performance and protest group that has been a thorn in the side of Putin escaped Russia by dressing as a food delivery person.

Maria Alyokhina spoke to The New York Times after crossing into Lithuania, following a week-long journey that included spy-like deception and multiple border-crossing attempts.

She told The Times that it sounded like a spy novel.

The Russian government has cracked down on free speech before. The activist has been jailed several times in the years since Pussy Riot burst on the scene, using punk music to mock the corrupt relationship between the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church.

According to The Times, Russia has tried to silence Alyokhina and her group mates, but they have not been silenced. Alyokhina told the outlet that she was dedicated to remaining in Russia despite being scrutinized by authorities until the country invaded Ukraine in February.

Alyokhina said she was sitting in a jail cell when she heard Putin speak.

—The New York Times (@nytimes) May 10, 2022

She told The Times that she doesn't think Russia has a right to exist anymore. I think that is no longer a question.

In the months since the war in Ukraine began, Putin has intensified his efforts to crack down on the opposition. She told the outlet that her pending house arrest was converted to 21 days in a penal colony, which led to her trying to escape.

In an interview with The Times, she described how she was able to escape from Moscow police who were stationed outside of her friend's apartment. She left because she was afraid of being tracked.

She told the newspaper that one of her friends drove her to the border. She was stuck in a country that was friendly to Russia for a week. She had already been placed on a Russian wanted list and said she wouldn't stay in a hotel. She told the outlet that she was able to cross intoLithuania on her third attempt, thanks to a travel document from an unnamed European country.

I was happy that I made it, because it was a blow to Russian authorities.

According to the outlet, other members of the Pussy Riot collective have joined Alyokhina inLithuania as part of the growing exodus of Russians. The group is going to perform in Berlin later this week as part of a European tour.

It seems unlikely that Alyokhina will return to her native Russia anytime soon.

She told the outlet that if your heart is free, it doesn't matter where you are.