January 2, 2026
‘I thought, what could they do to me?’. Russian street singer Diana Loginova, jailed for performing anti-war songs, gives first major interview in exile
In 2025, three St. Petersburg street musicians did something seemingly impossible in wartime Russia: they repeatedly drew crowds of dozens of people to sing openly anti-war songs in public. The feat didn’t come without a price. In mid-October, Diana Loginova, Aleksandr Orlov, and Vladislav Leontyev were arrested. Over the following weeks, they were kept in custody through a series of consecutive misdemeanor sentences — an “arrest carousel” that lasted more than a month. Eventually, the musicians were released and allowed to return home. Soon after, Loginova and Orlov were reported to have fled Russia.
TL;DR
- Street musicians Stoptime, consisting of Diana Loginova, Aleksandr Orlov, and Vladislav Leontyev, performed anti-war songs in St. Petersburg.
- The musicians were arrested in mid-October 2025 for singing songs by artists labeled "foreign agents" by the Russian government.
- They were subjected to consecutive misdemeanor sentences, totaling over a month, in an "arrest carousel."
- Diana Loginova stated her motivation was to unite people who felt alone and to counteract the suppression of talented musicians.
- State Duma deputy Mikhail Romanov claimed responsibility for reporting the musicians and offered Loginova a deal to become "the second Shaman" in exchange for public apology and performing for war veterans.
- Loginova and Orlov fled Russia, with Loginova initially going to Yerevan and later appearing with other musicians in Vilnius.
- The band's actions drew crowds who sang along to the anti-war songs, which Loginova believed was a key reason for the authorities' response.
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