[Shaun]

Red Square has seen a lot over the centuries, from public executions to giant military parades, but a performance artist broke new ground on Sunday when he nailed his scrotum to cobblestones in a painful act of protest.

Pyotr Pavlensky said the protest was his response to Russia's descent into a "police state" and was timed to coincide with Police Day, which Russia's law enforcement officials celebrated on Sunday.

"The performance can be seen as a metaphor for the apathy, political indifference and fatalism of contemporary Russian society," wrote Pavlensky in a statement. "As the government turns the country into one big prison, stealing from the people and using the money to grow and enrich the police apparatus and other repressive structures, society is allowing this, and forgetting its numerical advantage, is bringing the triumph of the police state closer by its inaction."

Pavlensky has a history of self-harming art, including sewing his lips together to protest against the jail sentences given to the members of the Pussy Riot punk group and wrapping himself in barbed wire outside a Russian government building, which he said symbolised "the existence of a person inside a repressive legal system".

Leading Russian theatre director Kirill Serebrennikov wrote on his Facebook page that the performance was a "powerful gesture of absolute despair".

Pavlensky walked on to Red Square on Sunday lunchtime, stripped off and nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones of Russia's most famous public space. He was taken to hospital an hour later and given basic treatment for his injuries but declined to be hospitalised. He was later taken to a police station.

Pavlensky is due to appear before a district court in Moscow on Monday over the stunt and could be jailed for up to 15 days.

first person to say "he's got some balls to do that" is getting a week-long ban from TiBB, i've confirmed this with James

[Saph]

eww

[Saph]

avlensky has a history of self-harming art, including sewing his lips together to protest against the jail sentences

D;

[arista]

At least he is still Alive.



Russia is a Nation on its Own
Never upset it.

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by Shaun

first person to say "he's got some balls to do that" is getting a week-long ban from TiBB, i've confirmed this with James

God!!!! he's got some.............................................. .

Spoiler:

Nerve

[BBfanUSA]

He's got some balls

See y'all in a week

[smudgie]

OUCH!!!

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by BBfanUSA

He's got some balls

See y'all in a week

[Ammi]

..it seems a shame that he be prosecuted and put in prison after how painful that must have been...wow..such pain...

[Niamh.]

Could he not have invested in some handcuffs instead?

[Ammi]

..where's his hammer, then..?..they must have removed it...

As a guy, the first thing I thought about was - he's hammering it into concrete. At least with wood (which he won't be getting for a while), there's a chance of hitting the nail once and it being done, but with concrete, he'd have to properly hammer it in like a dad putting up a shelf, otherwise it wouldn't hold.

[Ammi]

..how would a nail even go into concrete..surely you would have to drill it..?..

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..how would a nail even go into concrete..surely you would have to drill it..?..

Hilti nails for concrete

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Hilti nails for concrete

..crikey, he must have really had to hit it hard though, the natural reaction would be to pull away, wouldn't it..he must have taken something to numb the pain or just to be able to do it in the first place...I find it hard to look at the picture and I'm not a guy...

[MTVN]

Those crazy Russians

[user104658]

I'm guessing he didn't actually nail through his testicles, just the scrotum... Which actually has very few nerve endings so wouldnt have hurt much.

Before my 6th year prom, aged 18, I decided to do a bit of "manscaping" and accidentally cut a 0.5cm hole in my ballsack. True story! Barely felt it but oh god the panic... Hahaha. Turns out scrotum also heals like wolverine?? It had healed over completely in 36 hours.

[Nedusa]

Who nails their scrotum to the ground............???

He's Nuts to do this... needs to be taken away by the men in white coats, he's taking self harm to new levels

[Apple202]

ewwwwwww

[Tom4784]

No.

[Z]

Nope I'm out of here

[Stu]

Ground looked fairly damp as well. Never mind the balls it would really annoy me if my ass was on wet concrete like that.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Stu

Ground looked fairly damp as well. Never mind the balls it would really annoy me if my ass was on wet concrete like that.

he'll get a cold in his kidneys

[King Gizzard]

well he got the press and attention that he wanted, people cuffing themselves/generally just protesting hardly gets any news coverage these days so he spiced it up a bit

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

he'll get a cold in his kidneys

Yep. That's no good, like. He could have put a blanket under his arse. He has a skinny vodka metabolism frame going as well. No good for insulation.

It really annoys me.