The Story of Finist the Bright Falcon: From National Award to Criminal Case

Petriychuk is finally transferred to Penal Colony No. 5 in Mozhaysk.

After 649 days in pre-trial detention, Sveta is sent on a journey known in Russian as “etap” — this is a prisoner transfer in the Russian penal system often involving long and grueling transport under harsh conditions.

The court slightly modifies the sentence of Petriychuk and Berkovich. Sveta Petriychuk is sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in a standard-regime penal colony. Her sentence is lessened by just two months.

The court begins hearing the appeal. Defense lawyers demand that the conviction be overturned. They cite lack of evidence and stress that Sveta’s play opposes terrorism and serves to prevent terrorism, noting that it was even staged at FSIN (Russian Federal Penitentiary Service) facilities.

A military court sentences Petriychuk and Berkovich to six years in a penal colony for "justifying terrorism" in connection with Finist the Bright Falcon.

The trial of Petriychuk and Berkovich begins in the Second Western District Military Court.

Berkovich and Petriychuk are added to Russia’s official list of individuals and organizations associated with extremist and terrorist activities.

13 court hearings were held, during which pre-trial detention was unlawfully extended again and again, denying Sveta her right to await trial at home rather than while being held in pre-trial detention.

Svetlana Petriychuk is classified as “prone to extremist and terrorist activities” in the pre-trial detention center.

The Moscow City Court upholds the pre-trial detention decision.

Sveta is remanded in custody until July 4th, together with Zhenya Berkovich.

Svetlana Petriychuk and director Zhenya Berkovich are arrested under Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, on "Public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or terrorist propaganda."

Sveta receives the “Golden Mask” award for Best Playwright. This is Russia’s most prestigious state-supported theatre prize.

Finist the Bright Falcon premieres under the direction of Zhenya Berkovich at the Boyar Chambers of the Union of Theatre Workers, a cultural institution that is close to Russian government circles.

The play is presented as a staged reading at Moscow’s annual Lyubimovka Festival, a popular happening on the city’s cultural calendar. This event would later serve as the pretext for the criminal case against Sveta.

Svetlana Petriychuk writes Finist the Bright Falcon — a play about the horrors of terrorist recruitment.