Russian dissident artist Semyon Skrepetsky killed; parallels drawn with Pussy Riot and Pavlensky

Semyon Skrepetsky, pseudonym of Robert Kuzovkov, a Russian dissident artist and caricaturist who had sought refuge in Poland, was killed on June 15. He was known for his fierce satirical caricatures targeting Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, and Alexander Lukashenko. During the preview days of the Venice Biennale, he was seen outside the Giardini protesting the return of the Russian Pavilion, holding two paintings. The article compares his fate with the actions of Pussy Riot, who staged a protest at the Biennale questioning the legitimacy of Russia's participation, and with Piotr Pavlensky, who faces potential revocation of his international protection in France by OFPRA due to his radical art actions, including Lighting (2017) and Pornopolitique involving Benjamin Griveaux. The piece reflects on the vulnerability of dissident artists even within Europe.