‘It hurt to breathe’

Oksana Shalygina reveals years of domestic violence during relationship with Russian artist Petr Pavlensky

In an interview with the website Wonderzine, Oksana Shalygina, the former partner of Russian political performance artist Petr Pavlensky, opened up about her newly released book, in which she recounts shocking stories of domestic violence during their relationship. Here’s what she told Wonderzine, in brief.

In France, we were separated for 11 months. I started to understand the level of cruelty we had reached. He beat me every day. “My body really was black [and blue], my lower body was black, my legs and everything else, it hurt to breathe.” When you’re beaten up, it’s one feeling, but when you're raped — it’s completely different. He never touched our girls, he was a loving father. “Even in the most macabre personal stories, he always thought projectively […] He warned me that he would act as cruelly as possible with me.” The moral breakdown began almost immediately. He didn’t like my son from my first marriage. “I gave up my child in favor of a new life, a new love.” “He’s actually an intellectual. He’s smart, an introvert.” Things changed after he got out of Butyrka prison. We acted like the perfect couple, no one knew. We lived parallel lives. “In the first I was stupid fool, in the second, a respected partner, friend, and lover.” I was involved in all the actions [Pavelnsky’s performance art], I curated everything. “Wherever you can’t see me, I’m there.” I wanted to prove to Petr that I’m worthy of him, to show that I’m as cool as he is. I’m not urging people not to believe the actress [Anastasia Slonina], but if I were to speak to her now, I would ask her: “Why did you ask Petr to cut your hands?” She provoked Petr deliberately, she seemed to like it. “Petr flew to such a height that he soared above human conventions in general, above everyday life.” I was quiet all these years, but when it became unbearable I decided to speak, to say farewell to the past. “If someone sees this as betrayal, so be it.”

You can read Oksana Shalygina’s full interview with Wonderzine here.