Hundreds of youth in Russia gathered in a historic city square and sang a banned song calling for the removal of Vladimir Putin. The event took place in Kazanskaya Square, St Petersburg, where a large crowd, including street musicians, performed ‘Cooperative Swan Lake’. This song, outlawed in May 2025 for being labeled “extremist” by a court, was created by Ukrainian musician Ivan Alexeyev, known as rapper Noize MC. It has become a symbol of opposition to Putin’s regime and the Ukraine invasion among Russian youth.
The song references the Soviet tradition of airing Swan Lake during political crises as a symbol of regime changes and instability. The crowd chanted phrases like “Where have you been for eight years, you monsters? I want to watch ballet, let the swans dance. Let your grandpa tremble with excitement for Swan Lake.”
In addition to the chant, the song’s lyrics include lines such as “When the czar dies, we’ll dance again. The old man still clings to his throne, afraid to let go. Old man in the bunker, still thinks it’s nineteen eighty-five.” Noize MC fled to Lithuania after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
An 18-year-old girl named Diana Loginova led the chants and was later arrested by the police. Diana’s mother, Irina, explained that her daughter had no political motives but was singing the popular song because she admires Noize MC as one of her favorite artists.
The video of the event surfaced amidst a series of successful strikes on Russia, including Ukrainian drone attacks on key Russian targets. These strikes have caused significant damage, leading to fuel shortages and soaring gasoline prices across Russia.