Alexei Plutser-Sarno, the spiritual guru behind the controversial art group Voina, or War, has fled to Estonia for fear of arrest, he wrote Saturday on his blog.
Plutser-Sarno, who is also known for writing a dictionary of Russian obscenities, said he crossed the border illegally with help from high-level Estonian friends following a tip that he could be arrested. He said he did not plan to return to Russia.
“I got absolutely credible information from my lawyer that I have become a suspect in the Voina case as the organizer and leader of the criminal group Voina,” Plutser-Sarno said on Russkaya Sluzhba Novostei radio Friday from Tallinn.
Earlier this month, a St. Petersburg court sanctioned the arrest of two Voina members for a September "performance." The Palace Revolution, as they called the event, involved activists flipping over several police cars, some with officers inside, at night in downtown St. Petersburg to protest police corruption.
Plutser-Sarno did not participate in the event, but he wrote about it on his blog.
The artists face up to five years in prison for hooliganism. Investigators have not publicly described Voina as a "criminal group," which could imply more serious criminal charges.
Investigators could not be reached for comment about Plutser-Sarno's allegations over the weekend. Soon after the September stunt, Plutser-Sarno said in an interview with The Moscow Times that Voina was not afraid of prosecution.
Voina has a long record of borderline-legal performances, including staging an orgy at the Biological Museum in Moscow in 2008 and painting a 65-meter penis on a St. Petersburg drawbridge facing the local FSB headquarters on the eve of an international economic forum in June.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
