On February 21, 2012, five women entered a church in Moscow. They performed a 'punk prayer' beseeching the Mother of God to get rid of Putin. They were quickly shut down, three were arrested and tried, and two were sentenced to prison. It captured international headlines, and footage of it went viral. The author's account tells how such a phenomenon came about. Drawing on her exclusive access to the band members and families and friends, she reconstructs their personal journeys