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Yelena Morgunova, the wife of performance artist Pavel Krisevich, told Meduza that police detained her twice after she returned to Russia in August to visit relatives. She says officers threatened her family and gave her an ultimatum to leave; she has since left Russia and is traveling to join Krisevich in France.
Yelena Morgunova, wife of Russian performance artist Pavel Krisevich, says police detained her twice after she returned to Russia in August to visit family, threatened her relatives and told her to leave the country. In an interview published by Meduza on October 14, Morgunova said she has since left Russia and is traveling through Europe to join Krisevich in France.
Morgunova told Meduza that her first detention took place on August 28, after she and her mother were stopped on a bus near Skopin, in the Ryazan region. Police officers said they were checking the passports of people who had returned from countries Russia considers “unfriendly,” she said. At the police station, officers asked whether her husband was a “foreign agent,” according to her account.
She said the detention was followed by another arrest and threats against her family, after which authorities gave her an ultimatum to leave Russia. The interview excerpt provided describes the first stop and the circumstances around her return but does not give a complete account of the second arrest or the alleged threats. The claims are Morgunova’s account; the available material does not include a response from police or other officials.
Krisevich said on October 10 that Morgunova had managed to leave Russia after “back-to-back” arrests. The couple had been living in France since late 2025, after leaving Russia on a humanitarian visa following two jail terms Krisevich served for administrative offenses. Morgunova told Meduza she is now on her way to Paris, traveling by train with their dog because she believes flying could pose a health risk to the animal.
Pressure on an Artist’s Family
Morgunova’s account describes the potential reach of official scrutiny beyond a prominent critic or protest artist to a spouse who says she kept a low profile. She told Meduza she had not taken part in Krisevich’s protests and did not expect to face significant risk, partly because she believed authorities generally left activists’ relatives alone.
Her reported experience also shows the practical costs of leaving: she said the couple had lived in difficult conditions in a Paris squat, and that a lack of housing and permission to work shaped her decision to return to Russia. She now says she plans to seek family reunification in France and apply for residence and work permission. The account adds a personal dimension to the couple’s departure, while leaving the authorities’ actions and motives unconfirmed independently.
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From France Back to Ryazan
Morgunova told Meduza she and Krisevich arrived in France on June 3 and spent nearly three months in an occupied former office while awaiting paperwork. She said they hoped to receive accommodation together, but Krisevich was offered temporary housing in a refugee dormitory and she was not. After staying briefly with acquaintances, she returned to Russia to visit her mother and explore a possible job opportunity.
She said she had originally wanted to retain the ability to visit her parents in Russia and did not initially seek asylum. Before traveling, she made her social media accounts private and kept a low public profile, she told Meduza. She said her earlier months in Moscow after Krisevich’s departure had passed without incident, which contributed to her belief that a short visit would be safe.
“back-to-back”
— Pavel Krisevich, as quoted in the report
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Details of the Detentions
The account available here does not specify the full circumstances, dates or legal basis of the second detention, nor does it identify the officers who allegedly threatened Morgunova’s family or explain the reported ultimatum. It is also unclear whether any formal charges were filed against her, whether she received written orders, or whether Russian authorities have responded to her allegations.
Meduza’s interview is the source for Morgunova’s account. The details should not be treated as independently verified based on the material provided. Her current immigration status in France and the timing of any family-reunification application are also not yet established.
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Reuniting in France
Morgunova told Meduza she was traveling to Paris to join Krisevich and intended to apply for family reunification, a French residence permit and permission to work. She said she hopes to find employment and support her family, though she did not provide a timetable for the applications or say whether she had secured a job.
The next developments will include whether she reaches Paris, what route she takes through the French immigration process and whether further information emerges about the detentions or alleged threats. No official response or court action is included in the report material provided.
passport holder with RFID protection
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Key Questions
Who is Yelena Morgunova?
Yelena Morgunova is the wife of Russian performance artist Pavel Krisevich. She spoke to Meduza about her detentions in Russia and her departure for France.
When and where was Morgunova first detained?
She told Meduza that police stopped her and her mother on a bus near Skopin in the Ryazan region on August 28, after she had returned to Russia to visit relatives.
What does Morgunova allege happened after the first detention?
She says she was arrested again, that officers threatened her family and that she was given an ultimatum to leave Russia. The available interview material does not provide a full account of those events, and no official response is included.
Where is Morgunova now?
Morgunova said she had left Russia and was traveling through Europe to join Krisevich in Paris. She planned to travel by train with the couple’s dog.
What are Morgunova’s plans in France?
She told Meduza she intends to apply for family reunification, a residence permit and permission to work. The timing and outcome of those applications are not known.
Source: rss
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