Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova joins Cheddar News to discuss her initiative, Unicorn DAO. It invests in NFT art projects created by women, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists. She also offers up her message to Russian President Putin, "Go away."


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Pussy Riot Member Nadya Tolokonnikova: 'Putin Steps Too Far on the Side of Evil'

Welcome to between balls. Everyone in the latest Web three initiative, co created by one pussy riot member. Unicorn Tao consists of people aiming to use tools to create much needed equality. It all aims to redistribute wealth and visibility to focus on equality for women identified an L G B T. Q. Plus people in the world and also in the crypto space. So for more on this, let's bring in our senior reporter Michele Castelli. Oh hey Michelle, thanks baker. Joining me today is not to discuss is pussy Riot member and co founder of Unicorn doubt. Nadia Tolokonnikova, thank you so much for joining the show. Now, Unicorn Tao invests in N. F. T. Art projects created by women non binary and L G B T. Q I A plus artists. What are you trying to solve here with this project gender gap? We're trying to build a new paradigm for the digital art space. Um we cannot solve the issue with the whole art market that's going to be too ambitious even for me, I'm known for being ambitious, but what we're trying to do is to establish a new paradigm in so called Web three um Digital art space. Um we want to close gender gaps. So for all the generations to come here, um it's going to be given that um men are equal to women and all other people who do not necessarily identify as one of those um male or female to male, female, whatever Rolls Right, So um as of now, energy space is still Not really equal, only 5% of all sales are done by female artists. And I believe that we have three provides amazing economic tools for self empowerment. And I noticed it over the last year myself and I'm gonna give these tools to other girls and non boundary LGBTQ plus people. Yeah, that's such a great point. You just raised 4.5 million to support women ex art and based on unicorn dow's own research art for women sells for 50% less than art made by men. And how is it how is it supporting women's rights now? Especially at a time when the rights are being eroded across the United States, especially with the abortion debate. Um, besides raising this money to buy art created by women and other underrepresented groups that I mentioned before. We also are going to work directly with activist groups such as Women's march or organizations to provide um reproductive rights for women like planned parenthood to make sure that we share this knowledge about how crypto three tools can help those organizations to fight for reproductive justice right now, it's a really timely moment. You cannot stay aside if you call yourself a political, if you think that you are pacified, you're standing on the side of the evil. So our goal right now is just to help to use the successful model that we used earlier this year for Ukraine doubt be collected over $7 million dollars in two days to help Ukraine's who struggle after Putin invaded their territory. Um, I want to help with the same tool set to fight for reproductive justice. Now I'm glad you brought up Ukraine because most people may know you as an activist and fighting against Putin and Russia, you were jailed by Putin for speaking out against this regime. Can you shed some light on what activists might be facing right now in the Ukrainian Russian conflict. Russian activists who support Ukraine who even acknowledge that the word is, we're not special military operation face. Um, all sorts of all sorts of issues, including criminal charges up to 15 years in jail and just constant arrests, harassment. Um, and I personally was attacked by, um, But government agents, um, from chemical liquid in my face ripped by Kazakhs in the middle of the street thrown to jail, spent two years in jail and was arrested multiple times. I think it was over the course of my life, it was definitely more than 100 times. I was arrested for various periods of times. That's why it's so insane. And even your fellow pussy right activist, Maria ali kony kina, I'm probably pronouncing her last name wrong. She disguised herself as a food courier to evade the Moscow police last month. What did you think of her actions? She needed to go on tour. Um, she's really determined if ma, she decides to do something, she definitely does it. I do not think she left Russia forever and that's, that's what she says? She says she's not planning to leave Russia because she, for her identity as an activist is really important to stay in Russia. But she also, at the same time, she has an anarchist. She doesn't really believe that she, she needs to be told by the government what to do. So she decided to disguise, disguise herself as a food career and she escaped her own house. And she's not, she's not on tour in europe. Now, you've been fighting for equality for so long, pussy riot is about a decade old. What is your message for those who are fighting for their rights now? Whether it's in Ukraine or even if it's just trying to get equality in the art space like you're doing with Unicorn Tao. Mhm. Um hmm. Okay. Any any action is important. Not you cannot think that your actions are too small and you're not going to be able to change things because I think that's this mindset that actually creates powerlessness in us. Um, so, um as of no, it's really dangerous for version people to participate in what's happening in Ukraine. But I think, You know, 10 years from now, if you'll take a look if your kids are going to ask you for I don't know if your pets cats. If you don't have kids, they're gonna ask you, what have you done? What do you have you personally done to stop the war in Ukraine? Um did you make at least six small gesture? Did you, did you go to the main square of your city? Did you write a blog post? Did you send money to help people in Ukraine? Did you do something? And so if you're going to be able to look your kids in the eyes and be like, oh yeah, I've done I've done that. So 10 years ago I was protesting against the war in Ukraine. I think it will make you feel so much better about your life. And this is how I approach most of the things in life. You just have to stay true to yourself and follow your ethical instinct and then um, decide from there. What's the most effective thing you can do without actually destroying yourself because, you know, nobody wants to get killed. Including me though, it may not seem um like that. And if you have a message for Putin right now, what would it be? Go away? Um, I don't really want to talk to him. Um, I don't think that you need to spend um, a any energy on trying to interact with that human being because he's he's disgusting. He's he stepped too far on the side of evil and have a lot of conversations with my friends, journalists about that, they still think that they can um ask him questions and he'll give them um, interesting answers. I do not think so. You do not Do you not want to talk with the person who kill babies? You just want to stop him? And, um, the only one thing that I wanted I want to see regarding what you know, and see human jail or um, or dead. Well, we'll have to leave it there today, thanks to pussy Right member and co founder of Unicorn Tao to Nadia Tolokonnikova.