He will have to pay a fine and cover the costs of repairs of the door in the notorious Lubyanka head quarters building of the Russian security service, formerly known as KGB.
The verdict comes as unexpectedly lenient for the country which has been known for brutally suppressing dissent. It could be due to the lesson the Russian authorities had to learn with imprisoning Pussy Riot singers for a harmless performance a couple years back. The verdict then brought Хуйло and his government extremely bad publicity around the world. The scandal was even featured as a motive in one of the episodes of the 3rd season of the famous House of Cards show.
As the judge finished reading the verdict, the public in the room started to applaud. It was the finishing touch that decisively turned the courtroom into a stage of an absurdist theater, which Petr Pavlensky made the whole proceedings look like.
Once released, the artist thanked his supporters. “It does not matter how the trial ended,” he said. “What is important is the fact that we were able to unmask, uncover the truth: the government is founded on the methods of terror”, - he said.
The performance act that Pavlensky was brought on trial for was called the Threat. On 8 November he poured gasoline on the doors of the FSB building in Moscow and set it on fire. Detained right after the action, he spent the time in a detention facility ever since. He was facing up to three years in prison for “damaging the cultural sight”. This story will be featured in the new play by the Belarus Free Theater. Burning Doors will premiere in August.
The judge has sentenced Petr Pavlensky to a fine of 500.000 roubles (ca. $7.870). He will also have to pay another 481.000 (ca. $7.560) for repairing the entrance door in the Lubyanka HQ building. Pavlensky’s lawyer, Dmitry Dinze had previously commented that his client was not going to pay a fine out of principle. This might mean the artist would have to serve time in a penal colony - a settlement type facility in a remote area of Russia. This tells us the story is not over just yet and Petr's fight against the oppressive state machine continues.
Header photo credit: Sergei Savostyanov/TASS