As Americans and prominent Russian dissidents were freed in August’s historic prisoner swap, a little-known self-described hippie and artist was also released. Though far from the headlines, Alexandra Skochilenko’s seven-year prison term for a tiny antiwar protest exemplifies the risks of dissent even for ordinary citizens in today’s Russia.

A lesbian and joyful pacifist in a nation fiercely attached to “traditional” values and obsessed with war, she became known in court appearances for her irrepressible demeanor and psychedelic shirts — and the heart symbol she made with her hands.