On the morning of November 15, police and Federal Security Service (FSB) officers from Nizhny Novgorod searched the home of artist Alexander Kuritsyn, known by his alias Blue Pencil. According to the RusNews channel, they confiscated books and communication devices during the raid.
Alexander Kuritsyn has been charged with "involvement in the activities of anti-Russian structures," according to the media outlet. No official statement regarding the search has been released.
Sibir.Realii, citing a source, reported that Kuritsyn is currently unreachable. The source also claimed that the artist faces dismissal from the NCCA Nizhny Novgorod, a branch of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
On November 5, Kuritsyn placed the art object "Go by the Forest" on the wall of the Roskomnadzor building in Yekaterinburg as part of the ЧÖ art festival. The name of the art object coincides with that of an organization also known as Get Lost, which assists individuals unwilling to participate in the war in Ukraine in deserting. Following a complaint from a United Russia party member, the inscription was altered and later removed entirely. The festival subsequently announced its closure due to threats.