There’s no stopping Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova

I think Sunday mornings are for lazy breakfasts and good reading in bed. And if it’s too cold in your part of the world, add a blanket or two. While I can’t promise you a great read, I do guarantee something to ponder, something inspiring, or maybe even a shred of hope.

welcome to NFTs driving change—a bi-monthly column highlighting projects and creators using NFTs and other Web3 tools to create real-world impact. In this issue, I focus on Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova’s latest NFT project: Matriarchy Now.

First, let me tell you about Nadya Tolokonnikova

I met Pussy Riot, a Russian punk band, while I was doing my graduate degree in journalism in 2018. At that time, a classmate introduced me to them as one of her favorite feminist icons. But, I admit, it was mainly over the last year that I became familiar with the works of Pussy Riot, especially at the intersection of Web3 and activism. In the midst of this, the founding member of the punk collective, Nadya Tolokonnikova, stood out; both for her personal work and related to Pussy Riot.

Performance artist, feminist, and political activist, Nadya co-founded Pussy Riot in 2011. The following year, Russian authorities arrested her and two other members for “hooliganism” for protesting against Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral. Over the years, he has continued to fight for different causes, often adopting various digital tools to further his activism. The latest in this is cryptography, NFTs and a host of other Web3 tools.

Using Web3 for activism

After dropping several NFTs in 2021, Nadya, along with other crypto artists and developers, created UnicornDAO to empower LGBTQ+, non-binary, and female-identifying artists. One way to do this is by using the funds they raise to purchase NFTs from these artists. In a recent interview with Rolling StoneNadya talked about how some of the queer artists supported by UnicornDAO used the funds to flee Russia.

“We used this money literally to save their lives and now they live in a safe place,” he told the media.

This was followed by the creation of another DAO, UkraineDAO, to raise funds for war-torn Ukraine. Then came the NFT Protest Proof drop to support reproductive rights organizations following the Roe v Wade ruling. To be honest, she had me in the “feminism bottle.”

For those unfamiliar with the work, here’s a summary of what he had to say during the NFT Limited Edition launch: “We live in a world where almost everything is for sale. And now you can get it at a discount when you buy more than 1 bottle of Extra Raw Virgin Feminism. Your voice is yours, even if your belly is not (in America). No government, no corporation can take that away from you.”

Starting 2023 with Matriarchy Now

Bad market conditions or not, Nadya started this year with another powerful NFT crash; this time, in partnership with Rolling Stone and coin base. Entitled “matriarchy now”, the collection was created in collaboration with the renowned photographer and artist Ellen von Unwerth. All 11 NFTs were sold on January 11, raising just over 20 ETH in total.

All proceeds from sales will go to LegalAbortion.ETH, UnicornDAO’s wallet dedicated to raising funds for reproductive rights organizations. To date, the wallet has supported various organizations with around $500,000. The list includes SisterSoung Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, Fos Feminista and Planned Parenthood, among others.

All of this sheds light on the more shocking side of NFTs. What no one said before“NFT [are] the beginning of one of the most powerful movements in the history of modern art.” By using Web3 tools to support a number of causes, Nadya and Pussy Riot set a remarkable example of how NFTs can be used to create real world impact.