Voina said that after the detentions the police allowed the one-person demonstration to continue.

Behind the bizarre stunts, the artists who make up Voina have a serious political agenda.

Voina The Russian street-art group Voina are known for their provocative works of performance art.

In 2009, band members Nadezhda and her husband Pyotr left Voina in an ugly divorce.

This is a translation of Voina i Mir, published in Moscow at the Tipografia T. Ros, 1868.

Voina's actionist art draws on Moscow Conceptualism, a movement that started in the 1970 with performances subverting socialist ideology.

Banksy donated £80,000 from a print sale to Voina after hearing about the prosecution.

The authorities have dealt harshly with overtly political opposition but to date there has been no sign of a crackdown on Voina.

Her antics as part of high-profile street-art collective Voina (War) have made her a focus of attention in the Russian media.

The prize, which is supported by the ministry of culture, was awarded after weeks of wrangling, during which Voina's entry was excluded, then reinstated.

Pyotr Verzilov, Tolokonnikova's husband and a founder of Voina, said the performance was meant to draw attention to bias in Moscow against minority groups.

Accusing the court of political bias, the Voina activists interrupted the procedure with punk rock music played on instruments they smuggled into the court room.