Two street musicians in St Petersburg were arrested for performing a song by Noize MC

The Primorsky District Court of St Petersburg sentenced Innokenty Kustov and Sergei Nikulshin to two days’ administrative arrest each and fined them 15,000 roubles (US$170) each for performing Noize MC’s song “Cooperative ‘Swan Lake.’” This was reported by the United Press Service of the city’s courts.

“They sang loudly, preserving all profanities, using sound amplification equipment. The people brought in gathered a crowd around themselves, apparently fans, who interfered with others who are not so reverent about the work of foreign agents and swearing. People started complaining to the police: ” is how the press service described the events.

Kustov and Nikulshin were charged with ‘discrediting’ the army (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences), organising a mass simultaneous gathering of citizens in a public place (Article 20.2.2), and petty hooliganism (Article 20.1).

In May 2025, the Primorsky District Court of St Petersburg banned Noize MC’s song “Cooperative ‘Swan Lake.’” An expert review found that it justified hostile attitudes towards people, statements about the violent overthrow of the constitutional order, expressed negative attitudes towards Russian authorities and the army, and caused harm to minors.