Transcript

Russian street musicians face risk of a long prison sentence

From NPR · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 min · 216 words · 3 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Russian street musicians face risk of a long prison sentence", an episode of NPR published November 13, 2025 (1 min, about 216 words). It mentions 9 people, works and ideas, including Stop Time, St. Petersburg, Ukraine, Russia, public order.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 1:22: Stop Time, discrediting the army, public order, Russia

Notable quotes from "Russian street musicians face risk of a long prison sentence"

  • The group known as Stop Time was already drawing crowds in their native St.
    about Stop Time · at
  • Support of the group. The case against stop time has really put into focus wartime censorship laws that determine what Russians are allowed to read, watch, hear, and say, and…
    about wartime censorship laws · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

Companies & orgs

  • Stop Time — Company · 3 mentions · first at
  • Russian authorities — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Story also shows just how difficult policing creative expression is for the Russian authorities because you can put a band behind bars, but the songs remain.

Concepts & topics

  • public order — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Anti-war cover songs. A stop time ban members now face charges of violating the public order and more seriously discrediting the army, a violation that carries the risk of a long prison sentence.
  • discrediting the army — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Members now face charges of violating the public order and more seriously discrediting the army, a violation that carries the risk of a long prison sentence.
  • wartime censorship laws — Concept · 1 mention · first at

Places & events

  • St. Petersburg — Place · 1 mention · first at
    The group known as Stop Time was already drawing crowds in their native St.
  • Ukraine — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Band songs by Russian artists currently in exile over their opposition to the war in Ukraine that's made them one of the most talked about bands in Russia today and gotten them…
  • Russia — Place · 1 mention · first at
    To the war in Ukraine that's made them one of the most talked about bands in Russia today and gotten them into trouble for essentially performing anti-war cover songs. A stop…

Full transcript with timestamps

The group known as Stop Time was already drawing crowds in their native St. Petersburg for their impassion street shows. But it's their performance of band songs by Russian artists uh currently in exile over their opposition to the war in Ukraine that's made them one of the most talked about bands in Russia today and gotten them into trouble for essentially performing anti-war cover songs. A stop time ban members now face charges of violating the public order and more seriously discrediting the army, a violation that carries the risk of a long prison sentence.

The group's singer, 18-year-old Da Loanova, who performs under the stage named Naoka, says the group was just playing songs they like to a public that wants to hear them. Since Stop Time's arrest, Russians and younger Russians in particular have taken to social media in support of the group. The case against stop time has really put into focus wartime censorship laws that determine what Russians are allowed to read, watch, hear, and say, and just how far the government's willing to go to enforce these restrictions. A stop time story also shows just how difficult policing creative expression is for the Russian authorities because you can put a band behind bars, but the songs remain.

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Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Russian street musicians face risk of a long prison sentence"?

In order: 0:00 Stop Time, discrediting the army, public order, Russia.

What is mentioned in this NPR episode?

9 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Stop Time, St. Petersburg, Ukraine, Russia, public order, discrediting the army. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Russian street musicians face risk of a long prison sentence"?

The episode runs 1 min; the transcript is about 216 words in 3 timestamped sections.

More from NPR

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 17, 2025.