Arrest of St. Petersburg Musician Sparks Outcry After Anti-Putin Performance Goes Viral

Police in St. Petersburg took an 18-year-old street performer into custody following the viral spread of a video showing her leading a crowd in the rendition of an anti-Putin rock song, as reported by local media on Wednesday.

The news outlet Fontanka stated that the musician, identified as Diana Loginova, might face two administrative charges for “discrediting” the Russian military and for organizing an unauthorized public event. She could potentially be sentenced to up to 15 days of administrative detention.

Loginova, who performs under the stage name Naoko with the band Stoptime, was captured on video earlier this week guiding a crowd in downtown St. Petersburg as they sang the lyrics from the popular track «Swan Lake Cooperative» by exiled rapper Noize MC.

The ballet «Swan Lake» has become emblematic of the Soviet Union’s dissolution, having been aired continuously on state television for three days during the turbulent period of August 1991. The title and lyrics of Noize MC’s song allude to the infamous Ozero (“Lake”) dacha cooperative established in the mid-1990s by Putin’s long-time friends and associates.

“I want to watch the ballet, let the swans dance. Let the old man shake in fear for his lake,” the crowd was heard singing in the viral footage.

In May 2025, a court classified «Swan Lake Cooperative» as “extremist,” ruling that it amounted to “propaganda for a violent change of government” and posed a threat to the “moral and ethical development” of young people.

Russia’s Ministry of Justice designated Noize MC, whose real name is Ivan Alexeyev, as a “foreign agent” in November 2022. He moved to Lithuania following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Neither Loginova, who has previously participated in and won various national and international music competitions, nor the St. Petersburg police have issued statements regarding her reported arrest.

On their Telegram channel, the band Stoptime announced the cancellation of their Tuesday night performance without providing specifics.

“We’ll be back in touch very soon,” the band stated the next morning while urging their followers to refrain from posting videos of their performances online.