This is something that I never thought I’d read, for a bunch of reasons:
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Cossack militia attacked the Pussy Riot punk group with horsewhips on Wednesday as the artists — who have feuded with Vladmir Putin’s government for years — tried to perform under a sign advertising the Sochi Olympics.
Until a few months ago, I didn’t know that Sochi existed, let alone that it was part of Russia. I didn’t know that Russia still employs Cossacks to do supplemental police duty. I didn’t suspect that Cossacks would employ their horsewhips even when on foot. I did not anticipate that there would be a Russian band called “Pussy Riot” or that Vladimir Putin would make a political comeback or that Putin would become infamous for feuding with Pussy Riot. I didn’t know that Pussy Riot would show up in Sochi and protest.
But, if you had told me all that ahead of time, I would have said, “Of course Cossacks horsewhipped Pussy Riot in Sochi, how could they not?”
Such a great advertisement for Mother Russia, dontcha think?
