>> from our studios in new york, this is "charlie rose." >> on february 21, 2012, pussy riot, a baklava art group staged an anti-putin protests in the cathedral in moscow. two members of the group or arrested and sentenced to two

years in a russian penal colony. they were charged with hooliganism and inciting hatred. their trial capture the world attention and change the way much of the world views russia. the two women were released in december. they became political activist. joining me are the women behind the masks, nadezhda tolokonnikova and masha alyokhina. also, masha gessen, a journalist and author whose book, "words will break cement," tells their story and their impact. i am pleased to have them here on this broadcast. let me begin. tell me what impact you think these two, by their protests, by their imprisonment, by the release have achieved in russia. >> that is a difficult question. what impact they have achieved. the option of achieving something through protest in russia is extremely limited. russia is a country living through a crackdown. the media have been controlled

by the state for half a generation. despite that, they have managed to stage a light on the nature of russia's evolution today. on russia's slide into the middle asia. -- middle ages. courtheir statements in six months later. >> what did you think you were doing when you took on vladimir putin? we wanted a new future for ourselves. we were using the kinds of methods we were able to use. russia is a country where we do not have an opportunity to go and officially be a part of politics. ournd other people of generation are choosing a different path through art, a path that is a genius pass for

humanity, that can magnify your voice at thousand times. , to giveue to act example of how you can be free from fear of putin even if you are weak. our strength is in our weakness. court onlyin demonstrates strength is in our weakness. it is a christian story. you can see an example of christ himself, that weakness can give birth to the strongest religion in the world. during the court proceedings, we wanted to show that if you can sacrifice if not yourself, then at least two years of your life,

it is worth the price. freedom worth that price. physical freedom. our physical incarceration has nothing to do with the true freedom for which people are fighting. >> you mentioned christ. how much did religion have to do with this? >> very direct. religion was born from christ. if you take christ out of christianity, wrist unity will disappear. church will disappear. this idea would be nothing without christ. person that showed with his entire life, for his existence, that sacrifices also bull. sacrifice for love, and for god.

is possible.fice sacrifice for love, and forgot. lex putin was two weeks away from claiming reelection to his third term in president read -- as president. biddingwere for parishioners to go to protest. shined a light on that unhealthy relationship between church and state and the misuse of religion. that continued through the trial, it which trial. >> how cell in the terms of the trial? to theirses testified being possessed. >> that they were possessed? >> when you heard that testimony, what did you say? it was interesting. if you step back from this a bit and rise above it, you can see that the process is a

performance. it was very difficult to imagine how in the 21st century anyone the 13thdged by century loss. in our current -- in our courts, in god. did you believe are,ogical discussions shouldn't be happening in court. they decided these discussions did happen. it only shows the absurdity of putin. it wasn't a true courts. another propaganda of a regime. >> why did you change -- why did you choose the name pussy riot? >> bright. bold. yes.

wanted to feele .reed from the limitations not just on us, but the government officials pronouncing the words with great pleasure. seriously, it is paraphrasing of a movement. we wanted to do something like that and russia. at some point we realize that something like that is very unlikely. we decided to create it with our own hands, and we did it. >> you get sentenced to prison. did you expect that? sitting in the court? >> no. but we were arrested, we will very clear.

investigators the told us we had to admit our must, and told us that we refuse to protest against putin. then they would let us go. if we continue to persist, then we will receive up to three years in prison. wo.got t support from the americans. we are grateful for it. it is due to the fact that we had so much support all of those people, heads of state, that supported us and demanded wooten release us. it is the compromise that our government was prepared to go for. >> were you mistreated?

>> it is not that we were mistreated or not. the russian prison system is built on the gulags analogy. when it was first created, everything continues. we lived through difficult times. germany, ind to russia, in the concentration camps, the government doing everything to prevent the society to realize what is going on. it is an old system. it is aimed that's suppressing human ear. it happens to everyone. nobody is singled out for this oppression. everybody is subject to it. right now we are speaking for human rights. task.a very difficult a very ambitious, bold. we want to do it.

to reflect onity the past and the position of our government, the mass media such that stalin is not just a mistake. it is for some, a point of pride. and i was in prison, i watched programs, new monuments were opened honoring people of the stolen generation, but also young people, new pioneers are being raised and brought up. they are not there to comprehend. we want to go back to the old ways. they want to restore the soviet union. have aeve that we baroque tradition -- we have ever wrote tradition -- we have a heroic tradition.

dissidents must be in our government. not the people who are doing everything possible to be forgotten. >> they see themselves in the tradition of others who suffered in the gulags. >> they are modest. >> speaking truth to power. >> absolutely. they are bringing attention to people that no one would hear about if it weren't for the voice that they have built for themselves. the voice of moral authority they have received after spending two years in prison. they became prison rights activists while they were still in prison. they documented the violations happening in the penal colony.

the most powerful writing about russian prisons in years. >> what did you say? >> it was the voice of those people who sat with me in prison. day after day, the situation was worsening. have an ability to in female camps. in the mail camps they can notify the administration of violations. in the female, women are subjugated. they must work 16 hours a day. they are refused meals. they are denied arsenal hygiene. they can be put outside. they can be kept outside 10-12 hours, even days. , it isation cameras cold. women get sick because they have to spend time there.

they already have serious diseases, such as aids and are not receiving proper treatment. i wrote about this. fromt a lot of pressure the administration that did not like this kind of truth to be told. they tried to suppress any kind of truth from coming out. this does not leave the walls of the community. as soon as somebody tries to do this they are labeled as enemy. all of the other residents are turned against them. the administration is trying to make everyone else believe that whoever is speaking the truth, they will also, everybody will be denied whatever small benefit they used to have. the voice ofo be those people as best you can in your writing or what you say.

>> yes. that is what we are trying to do right now. ont time, when we were here, the stage, we were the last words of the prisoners, which committed to serious terms. in their case, there is no component other than political. there is no religious component like our case had. they just went out to protest and they were on the square. random people. some of them, for the first time, attending a demonstration. now they are behind bars for two years. time inl have to spend the colony. several people are expecting sentencing. other participants of the protest, they didn't do anything.

they asked is political prisoners are completely unknown. nobody knows those who are in colonies taking it upon themselves. the courage. it takes a lot. nobody is going to call you to a studio to talk about it. nobody's going to know about you. if youwill notice you protest. it may cost you your life. they do it. they fight for themselves. we want to help them and give them legal aid. texts, to publish their pictures. anything that can help the world to learn that these people exist. they are unique, and wonderful. many journalists said that putin's olympic games, even though they were not bad, at the

writing thesewere ,, in the colony, somebody is fighting for improving the environment in the region where the games were taking place in sochi. this person is now convicted to a few years because she stood by . fence he is charged with federalism. he is sentenced to three years. he was just standing there next to the fence. >> it is amazing. tycoon wasthe oil released from prison, [indiscernible]

gave it on the same day. >> does that mean they have some immunity because they are well known? do you have some protection , andse you have spoken out the worldwide fame that you have exist. what does it mean? she said it was open season on you in russia. qwest -- >> yes. we were imprisoned. are safer than we are now. as soon as we leave moscow, we are attacked by toxic liquid sprayed in our eyes. we are beaten. it happened several times. it will probably continue. calls tonet is full of spurious with acid -- to spray

us with acid and destroy us. we are enemies of the people. there is a petition that demands to revoke is of russian citizenship. because we disagree. we are trying to reform a corrupt political order. is pro-russia, not against russia. the propaganda is over the top. especially putin. now propaganda is completely out of control. very bold. disconnected with reality. periodcrimea, during the before the referendum, there were signs saying that not see nazism,--

[indiscernible] >> the swastika was on the map of the united states. that was the choice. >> do you fear for your life? >> anything can happen. i don't know. we can't guarantee anything. we live in a country that can do away with the person. without really thinking much about it. connected by to be putin. his position based on the power of fear. he is using fear. any attempts to continue diffusing the variety of means,

those attempts do not have any results. want to operate in this system. we want to create a new system. a system where the priority is freedom and truth. they will be the main thing for people. we will do it. i am certain of it. it is clear that these two years did not diminish our resolve. our political ideal remains the same. we want to build a just and democratic societies together. the people who can create normal political systems. we will fight for this. >> how will you achieve it? >> we will work. >> putin has built a regime they can only self-destruct. eventually it will. what will be there when it

self-destructs? he is destroying the fabric of society. mostlyy help we have is masha.a and >> they are the biggest hope that russia has? >> because the crackdown, what is horrible about the political crackdown, it is based on fear. it is like abusing the everett of society over and over again. the longer it goes on, the worse things will be. so, people who stand up for some sort of values, who believe in the future of russia, are the only hope the country has. >> you have a heavy weight on your shoulder. >> let's not exaggerate. that isabout the hatred

directed towards us. any meetingcome to 50,000 peopleion, protested. you are in a different russia when you were there. you see the rush of the future already present in the people who are round two. people who love you. people who live for this freedom. to fight for it again and again. these are regular people. many of them are not professional politicians are professional activist. there is completely regular people. they come from other cities. parallel to exists whatever the government is doing.

we are not the only ones. we are not alone. >> you are member the arab spring. it started in tunisia with one man standing up. it exploded in terms of a protest that swept across the arab world. is that the possibility here? >> i do believe in the power of mass protest in russia now. the crackdown is too far gone. but i do believe in is that the regime is valid to self-destruct. we don't know. it is a black box. he is building a black box of a regime. we can know what is going on inside. it could take 20 years. we have no idea. something will be there when it is gone. >> you agree with that? >> yes. the regime that seems so indestructible now, it is based on the price of oil. if something happens to the price of oil and it falls, then

it will be difficult for him to prop up financially people who support his regime. over the past two years, while putin was at the helm, the nonoil related sector is in decline. it seems that this industry will continue. it doesn't seem to be any desire on the part of the government to create any other sectors of the economy. everything is controlled by corporations that have connections with government. that are owned by putin. it is an unhealthy situation. our market is not growing. it cannot grow under the circumstances. it is unstable. putin like stability. he always uses this word. when you are sitting on oil, it is unstable.

>> when he had the opportunity to be released from prison, were you anxious to leave? concerns as to how it might be perceived? ability to have a choice. we couldn't agree or disagree. we were just, the prussian law was an imperative. amnesty is coming. you are under the amnesty. your things are packed. the jail doors are open. sedan andin a black transported out. so, just as the conviction we had no choice, we had to go to prison. the same with amnesty. just in reverse. we were let out. it is very telling. i didn't meet any political handouts.

nadia had the same position. this was a political handout to us. 700,000 prisoners in the russian federation. amnesty that was presented through the media as a widespread amnesty. this was 1000 people relieved. 1000 people is nothing. absolutely nothing. it is profanity. we had no desire to participate in this. >> you have gotten to know them. , is this uncommon courage? where does it come from? they have said to me a number of times, we are regular people. we found ourselves. >> that was part of the reason i wanted to write the book. how woman like this come to be. especially at the age of 22

years old and 23 years old, which is how old they were when they landed in prison. bookook contends -- the contains their personal stories. i think this is a miracle. great art is a miracle. people who feel a personal responsibility for the eight of their country and are willing to go to any length to try to make the future better, that is a miracle. >> that is you. you feel a personal responsibility for the future of your country. you are willing to go to any length to see it happen. >> this is a citizens position. it is not difficult. words that we pronounce, it is citizenship. plain citizenship. the country is unhappy where

honesty is reviewed as her wrote -- as heroic. out, ast book came soviet dissident who was such a pain in the neck for the authorities that they dragged ,im out of prison where he was and they sent him away because even though he had 10 years left, it was one of the first books that i read when i was in detention. it was very difficult those first days. book helped me a great deal. it was a unique case. you can see that someone devoted his entire life to this war that nobody sees.

in facilities created to forget a person. i was inspired by that. there werethat enough people out there who devoted their entire lives to exist., and the we are now in a similar situation. >> that is the world you live in. >> the world is wider. withhe people connected art, it is wider than the dissidents in particular. it is the part that we can call the heart. >> thank you for coming. >> thank you.

>> back in a moment. ♪

>> ukrainian authorities claim russia planned attacks that killed more than 100 during february protests.

it was a dangerous time to be seen as a dissenter. one young graduate student chose to do just that. became thehevska face of the uprising when a video she made went viral. ukrainian, b [inaudible] know why thousands of people all over my country are on the streets. there is only one reason. fromnt to be free dictatorship. >> logging more than 7 million views worldwide, i am pleased to have her here this evening. >> hello. it is an honor to be here. lex tell me how you got involved. what were the circumstances that led you to say i have to be there? >> i was there all the time with my family and friends.

i was doing everything i could. i was just an ordinary protester. as a teacher.e i took my student from class to study the ukraine there, not in the classroom. grandfather,n my what are you doing there, it was hard for me to find an answer. ukrainians,all the the answer was how can i not be there? to just talked ruslana. everybody have the same feeling. we do.

>> what is the goal? >> the goal? unite, is to prosper, modern ukraine. a home for everyone. for those who speak ukrainian. for those who speak russian. safe for everyone. >> to you respect russia's relationship to the ukraine? >> i respect russian people. i will never respect the humiliation of my country. what is done by the russian government right now. not talking to my government. nation.ecting us as a and as a state. >> are there misconceptions? >> people are trying to understand. it is misinformation.

propaganda is ridiculous. russian people are beaten on the street. ridiculous. or, people from the west of ukraine want to invade crimea. make thetrying to ,mage of the ukraine as weak not united country. we are not weak. we won. buildl yield, we will this new democracy. >> did you ever fear they would crush the protest? >> of course. everyone. with a few. [indiscernible]

i told the students that the first time when you overcome your fear, it is an incredible experience. that is a special moment. i have never had it done. i'm a student. everything was normal in my life. -- it ist i am hundreds of black helmets. they are moving closer and closer. in that moment, i felt this fear. because that is dangerous. your legs just move ahead. you know you are staying.

here is your friend. here is your dad. here is your brother. here is your country. you stay and overcome. you were so scared. you are so afraid. it exists, something bigger. i didn't want anyone to feel this fear. i wish everyone to know this feeling of something more and bigger than your own life, then your own world. >> you, how has this changed you? >> protest? >> going viral. they showed me the ukraine of my dreams. , grew up in a family overprotective. i always knew that i would spend

my life in the ukraine. after this protest, i saw the people. i dreamed to help. me, that gave me an even bigger belief in our process. >> good luck. thank you for joining us. >> back in a moment. stay with us. ♪ >> the annual women in the world summit kicked off in new york. one political popstar took center stage. the ukraine are -- the ukrainian .inger ruslana marushevska she weathered frigid temperatures and sang for the protesters every night. for her courageous stance in the

face of violent attacks, she received the international women of courage award. i am pleased to have her here to talk about the ukraine and her life. welcome. >> thank you. .ou give me power >> you had power when the protest came. what drove you, the motion, the moment? explain. after therience revolution in 2004. a lot of people ask me, how do you think, do we have any changes? [indiscernible]

a lot of guys. in the watch that, ukrainian parliament, i watched this from inside the parliament. power.se, we lost our that we change. but because of corruption? >> yes. these guys were wrong for many things. it is a long time to explain here, now. just believe my words. have ayou think, to we revolution again? i said no. i don't think so. i was wrong.

my biggest reason. message.e wrong but, i think i felt i needed to leave everything and go. to ask everybody, join me. go. live likewe want to that. we don't want to go back. we don't want to join russia. it is not about russian people. enough to understand the difference. putinerstand who 10 -- change the rights all the time.

he is a terrorist for the energy source. we understand, we want to go to europe. this is our mentality. let's join. let's show our power. day, everyple every night. >> to come join you? >> exactly. we started with students. students, it was an amazing piece protest with good messages. the ukraine is your. the ukraine is europe. give us a chance to live better. .e saw a scene

like, switch on the slides. everybody in the world will see how many people here during the night. >> did you meet senator mccain? >> the first time, i told him to go to the stage. was the first great politician to join us in support . , ands important for us everybody was happy. >> tell me what you fear and what you hope. >> my fear if you and other

people in the world will recognize my country for that picture. a lot of people were killed. recognize ourople social movement. us, we will show you our light of freedom. have a problem with the anti-ukrainian propaganda. it is not just misinformation from putin. putin destroy the image of the ukraine. which is why i'm so worried. i will do everything. >> you want people to understand what about ukraine? choose peace. we want peace. this is our ideology of our

country. we don't want to have war. it is a plan of putin. three main words. peace, truth, country. don't destroy my country. don't destroy my country. .ou don't have any reason why you do that? i asked putin, why you do that? your money.er, for please stop. >> is it too late for crimea? >> no, no, no. world, putinto the change the rules. we will do everything. it is not just about crimea.

it is about role of security. >> you told me last night at dinner that you need an election. you need a new president. you want to have a strong government elected by the people of then be the symbol new ukraine. yes? >> yes. good question. has 2 months to destroy the ukraine. we have elections now. we were surprised about that. nobody understands what happened. >> did you want him to go? >> no.

[indiscernible] president,have legal the new one. we have technically a government now. but, we need an election. destroy thery to election. >> who should be the new president? it is interesting question. very interesting question. i can say right now we don't have a real leader. i don't need to do that. waiting for ay leader for the ukraine. now, we have elections. we need to have elections. it doesn't matter. it.eed

is for me. guys.aiting for our >> could it be a woman? >> we will see. it doesn't matter. >> do you want to be in politics? >> no. my task is music. i'm a musician. i am a professional conductor. >> you went to school for those things. >> i can do everything with my music. energy.ing a lot of i can help my country with music more. >> what is your mission? your mission. propose europeo

join us for our social movement. we called it light of freedom. it is important. it is more than just these words. -- il organize protech's will organize projects. truth, forin us for peace, for independence. choose democracy. let's help the ukraine. we can stop putin. we can stop a new empire. >> what you think his goal is? usi think he wants to show he is the leader. , nobody can stop him. but, he is wrong. our comes from underground. people, power. i believe that. i don't believe in putin.

or his power. >> if he invades the ukraine? the ukrainians will fight back? >> yes, of course. of course. you know why? -- e have we have power. that is enough for us. >> power is enough. >> power is enough. [indiscernible] >> what you want from the west? likes most important, sanctions. of course. as long as possible, as big as possible. don't make money with putin. war. money for it is bad money. stop making money with putin.

>> stop dealing with them? >> exactly. >> don't buy things. >> yes. even russia, proud of something like that. >> have you been to washington? who did you meet with? mccain, with, with murphy. a lot of great politicians and people who support and understand what is going on. it is not the problem with the ukraine. it is a problem for all of us. i am happy to work with these people and understand everybody .ries to stop this >> what you think of [indiscernible]

do you think she is part of the future? she is from old times. is from sure that she the future. she is from the past. >> you need somebody from the future? >> yes. >> you were on stage for 10 hours. you begged the police not to shoot. i saying 500 times our national anthem. >> you were worried the police might shoot. yes? >> i knew that. , leave or we me will killed you. >> many threats. >> yes. exactly.

stage,hen i was on the my friend told me, snipers are looking for you. be careful. leave the stage now. i said, no. i had a dangerous message. also, i ask for sanctions for putin. it is dangerous to say that. that.rstand why i do i do that for my country. i am never afraid. >> never afraid. >> never afraid. >> thank you for coming. >> thank you. >> a pleasure to see you again. >> you too. ♪

. .

♪ >> this is "taking stock" for wednesday, april 9, 2014. today's theme is engineering excellence. we are marking the 60th anniversary of ferrari in the united states and will be introducing you to a special ferrari. i'll be introducing you to the chief executive of ferrari north america, marco mattiacci. when it comes to engineering, how about excellence when it comes to food and sandwiches? we have