Burger King in Russia announces new meals inspired by the artist who nailed his scrotum to Red Square

In honor of its sixth year anniversary in Russia, the fast food chain Burger King is releasing a limited-edition series of “Pavlensky burgers,” inspired by the actionist artist Petr Pavlensky, whose various political stunts have included sewing his mouth shut, nailing his scrotum to Red Square, and more. The burgers will only be available in St. Petersburg.

The “Pavlensky burger” will be available in four different versions:

1. A burger sewn shut on one side. (In 2012, Pavlensky sewed his mouth shut in support of the jailed members of Pussy Riot.)

2. An oblong burger with “edible barbed wire.” (In 2013, the artist stripped naked and wrapped himself in a cocoon of barbed wire.)

3. A burger with an egg. The burger will be nailed to the plate with a plastic nail. (Also in 2013, Pavlensky nailed his scrotum to the bricks in Red Square.)

4. A burger with one of the sides burned. (In 2015, Pavlensky set fire to one of the doors of the Federal Security Service headquarters.)

The first media outlet to report this story was Afisha Daily. Calling Burger King's press office to find out if this is a joke, Meduza learned that the promotion is entirely real. “It's no joke. Pavlensky is a famous figure in Petersburg. We respect him,” a spokesman for Burger King's office in Russia said. With the help of burgers, the restaurant chain said in a statement, Burger King is “bringing culture to the masses.”

Since the beginning of the year, Burger King in Russia has experimented with several provocative advertising campaigns. The company's promotional materials are handled by the PR agency Fistashki.