N.T.: Text for this work is derived from the song “RAGE” - released in 2021 when Alexey Navalny returned to russia and got immediately arrested - refers to a feeling of being a stranger in my own land, an outcast labeled as a heretic, foreign agent, menace to society. Everyday life of an activist in russia means endless arrests, police harassment and a very real threat of being thrown to jail for years. But just like those witches burnt many moons ago, we won’t simply vanish, and continue to be a threat to a tyrant, a threat to the patriarchy long after our physical death. In this sense, we’ll resurrect, and we’ll be re-born, as Alexey Navalny is re-born in each one of us who continues to bring about changes, who continues to be the worst nightmare of putin.
Rage is a powerful emotion. It makes me act. When something terrible happens, I’m free to choose - either I lay low in tears, or I rage and through my rage the better world starts to manifest. Like an alchemist, I transform rage into beaty, rage into art, rage into political action.
Text in Russian (quoted from Tolokonnikova’s song “RAGE” dedicated to Alexey Navalny):
бесит бесит бесит бесит
начинаю куролесить
электричеством по нервам
я сегодня вам не верю
ай дубинкой мне по ребрам
я сегодня пою кровью
через век нас воскресят
кто сегодня вас бесит
вам назло в упор и вприсяд
бесит бесит бесит бесит
бесит бесит бесит бесит
начинаю куролесить
бесит бесит бесит бесит
начинаю куролесить
в молоте ведьм есть посвящение
он посвящен мне
я власть забираю я могу быть опасна
к тебе лечу на метле
я рассмеюсь в день своей казни узнав о ваших мерзостях
English translation:
RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE
RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE
my nerves are being electrocuted
i don’t trust you today
police baton on my ribs
i'm singing w blood today
in a century we will be resurrected
we're those who annoy you today
we're getting stronger and it makes u angry
RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE
RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE
in “THE HAMMER OF WITCHES" there is a dedication, it's dedicated to me
i take the power back, I might be dangerous
flying to you on a broomstick ha
i'm going to laugh on the day of my execution after learning about all of or your deceit
